# Sci-Fi becomes SyFy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628 "2009-03-16T15:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/81 "2009-03-16T22:57:18Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Except it hasn’t. The only people that think sci-fi means “low grade science fiction” as opposed to “all science fiction” are the people that already hate sci-fi as a term. The rest of the people couldn’t tell the difference, and fall into the “we got aliens and space ships and zap guns, so we don’t need logic” camp. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/82 "2009-03-16T22:59:16Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > SF is just an abbreviation. I believe Heinlein liked Speculative Fiction back in the '50s, but I’ll have to look up his article in the Advent collection to be sure. It did get turned a bit pretentious during New Wave time, I’ll grant you. I don’t care about that silly term war that’s raged in fandom since the 50’s. Does it really matter what phrase people use? Once you start playing games with “real science fiction” and “not real science fiction; just scifi” you start having to deal with alienation even within fandom. And despite that I have nothing but bad things to say about “Syfy”. Replacing “i” with “y” is one of those things that uncreative people do to think they’re clever. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/83 "2009-03-16T23:03:54Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Geek or Nerd? Take [the test…](http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2009/02/03/neeeeeeeeeerds/) > > After BSG ends, I’ll probably tune into SF/Whatever for the next “season” of Doctor Who. If they actually show it. Your link fails for me. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/84 "2009-03-16T23:22:48Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Oddly enough, I actually like USA. There’s a definite theme to both their original series and their syndicated offerings. Sorry to continue the hijack, but I definitely agree. Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, new episodes of Law and Order: CI. Excellent series, all, with a lot of fans here on the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/85 "2009-03-17T00:28:49Z")
Interesting - we had a thread along similar lines about the [History channel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=505705&highlight=history+channel) and what shite it has become not that long ago. It would seem that the networks and specialty channels are all hell-bent on proving the theory of [Network Decay](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NetworkDecay), or else it all goes to show that jumping the shark is no longer for just TV shows, but for Networks, too. I’d offer the same advice that I offered on the History thread - call them, write to them, point out this thread, explain how you will no longer watch, you will no longer advertise. Of course, these buggers make it more difficult, as they don’t give a link to their audience relations e-mail box. Still, that shouldn’t stop Dopers… I stopped watching TV a long time ago; the only reason I still have one is to watch DVDs. They need to be reminded that we have other ways of wasting our time. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/86 "2009-03-17T01:14:22Z")
Syence Fyction :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/87 "2009-03-17T01:57:41Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > Syence Fyction :smack: Doubyl Featyr ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/88 "2009-03-17T02:06:04Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Except it hasn’t. The only people that think sci-fi means “low grade science fiction” as opposed to “all science fiction” are the people that already hate sci-fi as a term. Or those who are picky about what they read and watch. I prefer not to watch and read crap. I value my time enough not to waste it on “Cops” and “Revenge of the Ant-Men”. I do sneer at things that I think are crap. Saying that something is sci-fi rather than SF or science fiction or specfic is one way of sneering. See: > [@Voyager](#): > > The rest of the people couldn’t tell the difference, and fall into the “we got aliens and space ships and zap guns, so we don’t need logic” camp. > [@Voyager](#): > > If you don’t use scientifiction you’re a neofan. If it’s good enough for Uncle Hugo, it’s good enough for me. 🙂 > > SF is just an abbreviation. I believe Heinlein liked Speculative Fiction back in the '50s, but I’ll have to look up his article in the Advent collection to be sure. It did get turned a bit pretentious during New Wave time, I’ll grant you. > > But as for sci-fi, I don’t recall any magazine with the term “sci-fi” in its title. I don’t have any in my collection, and I’ve been through the Day Checklist often enough that I think I’d remember seeing one. It might have honest roots, but today it stands for crap. I vaguely recall Harlan Ellison going quite batshit about the term. I’m pretty sure I remember the same thing about Heinlein. And can you give me the list of stuff that Ellison HASN’T gone batshit about? > [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#): > > I don’t care about that silly term war that’s raged in fandom since the 50’s. Does it really matter what phrase people use? Once you start playing games with “real science fiction” and “not real science fiction; just scifi” you start having to deal with alienation even within fandom. > > And despite that I have nothing but bad things to say about “Syfy”. Replacing “i” with “y” is one of those things that uncreative people do to think they’re clever. Well, the term is useful in making a distinction between how well something is created. If the story is just a stock Western\* with the terms “raygun” and "sixgun, and “horse” and “starship” substituted, then it’s scifi. If it’s a bold new look at how humans and aliens might interact, it’s science fiction. If it’s a TV series, and all the aliens of a particular race have only a subset of human emotions and interactions, then it’s scifi (though such a series can do very well). If I read or watch something, I want it to challenge me to think. I want the author to put some thought into the magic system, so that it will work within its own rules. I want the author to create a believable alien race, with its own customs and problems and strengths, I don’t want to realize that the author is simply recasting the Lord of the Rings in hyperspace, complete with hobbitses and a Gollum. The charm of TLOTR isn’t that it’s like so many other works, but that at the time it was fresh and new. I realize that many people do NOT want to be challenged when they read or watch something. \*I’ve read that one of the reasons that Westerns have pretty much faded as a genre is because the novels were fairly interchangeable. When a genre has so many formula novels, why bother reading yet another one? ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/89 "2009-03-17T02:06:17Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > It doesn’t even look like it should be pronounced “sci fi.” It looks to me like it should be pronounced “siffy.” I was just coming in here to say that! Maybe if we all call it that to their faces they’ll get the hint…though come to think of it, that technique doesn’t work on the moms who insist their child’s name be pronounced in a way that doesn’t match the spelling, so I doubt it’ll work here, either. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/90 "2009-03-17T02:09:12Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > That might be a legitimate concern if there were even the slightest possibility of such a thing happening. Under what imaginable circumstances would this occur? What are you talking about? Popular brand names are counterfeited all the time. This is assuming that “SyFy” will ever become popular enough for cross-platform marketing (apparently their management hopes it will). But why would they start out in a position with an undefendable mark? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/91 "2009-03-17T02:10:20Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Well, the term is useful in making a distinction between how well something is created. If the story is just a stock Western\* with the terms “raygun” and "sixgun, and “horse” and “starship” substituted, then it’s scifi. If it’s a bold new look at how humans and aliens might interact, it’s science fiction. If it’s a TV series, and all the aliens of a particular race have only a subset of human emotions and interactions, then it’s scifi (though such a series can do very well). Outside of nerd wars, where are these terms used? If I go into a Barnes and Noble and ask for “science fiction” and am lead to a section that includes a hefty helping of Star Wars novelizations, can I yell at the clerk for his incompetence? There is no difference between SF, sci-fi and science fiction. They’re an abbreviation, a shortening and the complete phrase. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/92 "2009-03-17T02:23:23Z")
The new logo needs some umlauts over them y’s. SciFi was in the tank even before they brought in the fuck-tarded wrestling and paranormal crap. I really don’t understand the process where one designs a network aimed at a specialized market segment and then blows off said market segment. If SciFi sucks so hard, shut it down and start a new network. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/93 "2009-03-17T02:29:47Z")
Some of you seem to be under the misconception that television channels are aimed at people who may watch said channels. They are aimed at cable companies and advertisers. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/94 "2009-03-17T02:41:34Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > What are you talking about? Popular brand names are counterfeited all the time. This is assuming that “SyFy” will ever become popular enough for cross-platform marketing (apparently their management hopes it will). But why would they start out in a position with an undefendable mark? I don’t know, maybe because they’ve already invested close to two decades in that undefendable mark? Granted, I have no information on how this has handicapped their cross-platform marketing efforts in the past. I do have several “SciFi Essential” books on my shelves, so apparently they have been able to make at least some degree of success with it. I tend to doubt that many people ran into trouble confusing books recommended by the SciFi Channel with any of the other books at the bookstore. “Wha-? There are literally thousands of ‘sci-fi’ books! Baffled… can not complete purchase!” If it turns out that the name was really the problem all this time, and “SyFy” is finally able to erect an enormous international multimedia conglomerate without fear that other companies will siphon off demand for the “Asteroid-O-Saurus 5”\* soundtrack, I will freely concede my error. \*Scientists discover a dinosaur-covered asteroid headed toward Earth. Starring Natasha Henstridge, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Lance Henriksen. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/95 "2009-03-17T02:48:51Z")
Dear OG, that brainless trollop Bonnie Hammer is still at the reins at “Skiffy”? that explains it all… I did like it that Sci-Fi rescued MST3K from Comedy Central, but then they started frelling around with the Farscape schedule, eventually cancelling the series prematurely, because, according to BH (paraphrasing), it was “too smart, and too hard to follow”, so they first started moving the show to different time slots to make it hard to find, then ended up killing it due to “low ratings” (because the fans never knew when it was on) I then boycotted Skiffy until the re-imagined BSG series, they started to lose me when they started adding in stupid reality crap “Washed-Up Hollywod Starlet Scares People For Fun” and “Ghostbust…errr, Hunting” crap (most of their “evidence” can be easily faked by the off-screen camera crew, like that “PKE Meter” thing with the LED’s they use, the sound guy’s probably standing just off camera with a remote control that lights up the LED’s) once they started adding that frakkin’ stupid wrestling crap, my immediate response was WTF?!?, I mean it’s _clearly_ FICTION, but where’s the SCIENCE the horribly bad “Skiffy-Originals” I don’t mind all that much, I look at them as “DIY-MST3K” Experiments however, once BSG is over, the boycott is back, and Skiffy will be dead to me again ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/96 "2009-03-17T02:57:29Z")
On another level this makes me sad, because their slogan Sci Fi … iF (with the Sc and the i fading out) was rather visually clever AND said something true and good about the genre. In fact, the new network name should be “iF.” But for good or ill, my days of marketing in SF/Fantasy are behind me. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/97 "2009-03-17T03:09:11Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > I don’t know, maybe because they’ve already invested close to two decades in that undefendable mark? Granted, I have no information on how this has handicapped their cross-platform marketing efforts in the past. You do understand how it might interfere with future plans, though, right? > [@](#): > > I do have several “SciFi Essential” books on my shelves, so apparently they have been able to make at least some degree of success with it. I tend to doubt that many people ran into trouble confusing books recommended by the SciFi Channel with any of the other books at the bookstore. “Wha-? There are literally thousands of ‘sci-fi’ books! Baffled… can not complete purchase!” I don’t see what this Borscht Belt routine is supposed to accomplish. They can’t prevent any other publisher from issuing their own “SciFi Essential” series, but they can prevent them from issuing a “SyFy Essential” series. It’s just common sense that the latter is more valuable than the former. > [@](#): > > If it turns out that the name was really the problem all this time Who ever claimed that it was _the_ problem? Companies will want to do anything that adds value. Having a defendable trademark is one of the most obvious sources of value. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/98 "2009-03-17T03:24:20Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > You do understand how it might interfere with future plans, though, right? Not really, no. But that’s not unusual: I don’t understand much of anything. This may or may not be why nobody’s ever asked me to drive an international multimedia conglomerate. > [@](#): > > I don’t see what this Borscht Belt routine is supposed to accomplish. It amuses me, mainly. It might help if you could see my accompanying gestures. With my appearance, I tend to favor physical comedy. Trust me, I’m hilarious. > [@](#): > > They can’t prevent any other publisher from issuing their own “SciFi Essential” series, but they can prevent them from issuing a “SyFy Essential” series. It’s just common sense that the latter is more valuable than the former. Except that (comical flailing gestures) NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD OF SYFY. Did, in fact, any other publisher rush out and issue a “SciFi Essential” series? I don’t know, but I bet not. There’s other businesses in the world named “McDonald’s.” That doesn’t mean it’s common sense for the restaurant chain to rush out and change their name to “mKDnaalds” just because no one else has that name trademarked. > [@](#): > > Who ever claimed that it was _the_ problem? Companies will want to do anything that adds value. Having a defendable trademark is one of the most obvious sources of value. Yes, but having a trademark that people recognize must also have some value. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/99 "2009-03-17T03:27:45Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Bah. SF was just a lame attempt to class up the genre. Speculative Fiction was even more pretentious. Science Fiction and Sci-Fi have a long and glorious history and we should be proud to use them. I don’t think “sci-fi” has a “glorious” history --very little quality product has willingly labeled itself sci-fi-- but I think the battle is over and there’s little point in fighting the term. Part of the reason that I’m comfortable with “sci-fi” is that the original usage that Forry Ackerman based his stupid pun on is fading into history. People don’t use the the word “hi-fi” anymore. People don’t use the phrase “high fidelity” anymore. In another 15 years it will be more obscure than “gramaphone.” So, “sci-fi,” “Sy-Fy,” “SF,” whatever. It’s all the same to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628/100 "2009-03-17T03:38:58Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Part of the reason that I’m comfortable with “sci-fi” is that the original usage that Forry Ackerman based his stupid pun on is fading into history. People don’t use the the word “hi-fi” anymore. People don’t use the phrase “high fidelity” anymore. In another 15 years it will be more obscure than “gramaphone.” > . err… where do you think “wi-fi” comes from? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-becomes-syfy/489628.md?page=6)