Friends read this article if you want to know about Wi-Fi
I just found out what Wi-Fi means and it sends me
Wi-Fi is something that we all use every day. It is a miraculous technology that allows us to communicate and share large amounts of digital information on multiple devices without the use of cables. Asking for a Wi-Fi password is almost like asking for a drink of water in many homes and devices. But what does that mean? If you’re anything like me, all your guesses will be wrong.
Wireless Fidelity
Poorly. A wireless finder? No way. Wilting fireballs? Not far, my friend.
According to MIC citing this 2005 interview by Boing Boing, Wi-Fi means none of those things, and in fact, it means basically nothing at all. Rather, Wi-Fi was a name settled between a group now known as the Wi-Fi Alliance and some brand consultants from the Interbrand agency. It’s kind of like finding out that a friend has actually been using their middle name for years.
The original IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence term seemed like a bit of a hard push in the slogan-driven ’90s, so the alliance looked for something a little more marketable. The branding agency suggested 10 names and eventually, the group settled on Wi-Fi despite the emptiness the name holds. Although the bland name didn’t work for everyone.
Why is the name Wi-Fi
“The only reason you hear anything about ‘wireless fidelity is that some of my colleagues in the group were afraid. They didn’t understand branding or marketing. They couldn’t imagine using the name ‘Wi-Fi’ without some literal explanation,” Wi-Fi Alliance founding member Belanger said in an interview. “So we compromised and agreed to include the slogan ‘The Standard for Wireless Fidelity’ along with the name. That may be a mistake and only serves to confuse people and dilute the brand.”
A word that many of us say potentially several times a day is actually straight-up marketing nonsense. Google it on a Win XP machine and really feel the logical dissonance.
So the Wi-Fi means nothing, but maybe it’s the friends we’ve made along the way? After all, we’re currently jumping from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7, and that’s not even certified yet. You can get Wi-Fi range extenders, and USB adapters, update Wi-Fi drivers, and connect to Wi-Fi throughout the day. Wi-Fi is indeed a sweet-smelling piece of technology, regardless of the name.
