Don't Let the Internet Name Things

Web 2.0's core function is interaction. It can be an amazing force for good. Wikipedia has taught me endless things that are at least mostly true. Crowdsourcing, if properly constructed, has amazing potential. Unfortunately, not everyone is an angel. Situations where users are able to submit ideas and vote on them can lead to problems. A few notable ones

The latest one is from New Zealand McDonald's. They had a web app where people could design their own burgers and share them online with friends. As one can imagine, this went downhill quickly! Here is a funny article about it that included pictures of said burgers. Some of the language isn't appropriate for work!

One of the tamer designs.

Thees can also cause problems with polls too. "Boaty McBoatface" was voted as the name of a ship. A middle school in Texas needed to be renamed. One of the suggestions was "Adolph Hitler's School For Friendship and Tolerance."

The moral of the story: Be careful with user suggested polls. They can provide great creative ideas, but moderation is probably a good idea.