up vote 11 down vote favorite
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What exactly does Ask Different have to do with Apple? AskApple surely?

  • It doesn't fit with the URL
  • It doesn't fit the names of other stackexchange sites, which are pretty much the same from beta to non-beta.
  • Ask Ubuntu is a good name, its where you ask about Ubuntu
  • Ask Different, ask different to what
  • How many people actually know about the ad campaign
  • The legal issue is not with having "Apple" in the title, it's with the use of the Apple Logo, this post isn't about changing the logo (cmd button)

5 votes up, so that's almost half of the 13 votes for Ask Different. Please upvote the answer in this thread if you think the site title should be changed: Official Site Title

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The use of 'Apple' and the possible trademark infringements is discussed in this meta thread where input on the site name solicited meta.apple.stackexchange.com/questions/205/official-site-title – Ian C.♦ Jan 28 '11 at 21:38
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But apple is used during the beta and is innthe site URL? – Jonathan. Jan 29 '11 at 0:03
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The discussion of the use of "Apple" centered around the use of the logo——not the name. The name has been used on numerous websites discussing Apple for years ("As The Apple Turns" anyone?) with no public complaint from Apple, Inc. – Philip Regan Jan 29 '11 at 3:26
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So use the name ask apple with the current logo??? – Jonathan. Jan 29 '11 at 8:36
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@Jonathan, if apple was actually here and participating, sure, but they hardly participate in some of their own forums... so I doubt that's going to happen. – cabbey Feb 1 '11 at 21:16
@cabbey, But as pointed out earlier by Philip Regan, Apple is used in other websites' titles. So Apple doesn't have to be here. – Jonathan. Feb 1 '11 at 21:49
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@Jonathan, my point was "Ask Apple" implies that Apple is actually here, participating. I don't care about if other sites used the word in some way. I care about what the tagline implies about this site. – cabbey Feb 1 '11 at 22:33
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I agree with @cabbey in that Ask Apple implies you're asking Apple Inc directly. As far as trademarks and possible violations, there are many sites out there using the "Mac" and "Apple" terms with no problems (as well as brick and mortar Mac repair shops). I can think of AppleInsider, MacRumors, MacTech, MacHeist, The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Macworld, etc. I think we could still use the "Mac" term safely as those other sites do. Perhaps something that plays to StackExchange and Mac, like MacExchange, MacOverflow, MacQuestions... As much as I liked the Think Different campaign, it is outdated. – Christian Correa Jul 28 '11 at 4:38
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With respect: Ask Apple could be too misleading. If my first visit to a site labelled Ask the BBC revealed viewers and listeners but no-one from the BBC, I would take a dim view and probably not revisit. – Graham Perrin Aug 4 '11 at 15:44
It's quite difficult to understand when there is a copyright infringement when the used word is a common noun. For example, if I called a company Pear, I could not talk of copyright infringement every time somebody writes an article about pears. I am not use common nouns can be copyrighted, in the same way numbers cannot be copyrighted. – kiamlaluno Sep 11 '11 at 15:00
Could a name be "Ask about Apple" ? – Michael Freidgeim Jun 23 '12 at 19:57

2 Answers

up vote 23 down vote

Think Different was a hugely successful ad campaign by Apple:

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I just wonder how man people actually connect the two seeing as it was an ad. Surely this suffers from the same legal issues as using the apple name. – Jonathan. Jan 29 '11 at 0:05
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and how long ago was the ad? and has it ever related to iPhones and iPads? – Mark Jan 29 '11 at 0:09
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Apple has not had a company-wide slogan since "Switch" around 2003. A lot of product-specific slogans, but nothing that encompasses the company as a whole. Basing the name of the site on "Think Different", arguably one of Apple's most popular campaigns, was voted on by the community a while ago. – Philip Regan Jan 29 '11 at 3:23
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It has less than 20 votes. So it can be assumed that's the 20 most apple switched on people of this site as there are many more users who haven't voted. When things like the title are being decided on it needs a banner at the top of the main site with a link to the topic to make people more aware – Jonathan. Jan 29 '11 at 8:35
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@Jonathon: The discussions over the title and design were publicly available for months the meta site is busy with all sorts of other topics about site management, some arguably more important than this. I'm sorry you don't like the branding of the site, but it's not as though nobody was allowed to comment and vote. – Philip Regan Jan 31 '11 at 14:21
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The site title is quite a big thing, and only a small percentage of people visit meta sites, and a smaller amount of people think that they are worthy to affect decisions like this. The Topic that chooses the site title should be put in a banner at the top of the main site. – Jonathan. Feb 1 '11 at 21:58
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There are 3200 apple users and only 270 meta.apple users – Jonathan. Feb 1 '11 at 22:10
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@Jonathon: At the risk of sounding rude, but what's your point? Meta (for all of the SE sites) is a clear link near the top right of almost every page on the site. If people can't be bothered to go to Meta and take an interest in how the community is to run, that's really isn't anybody's fault but their own. There is only so much that can be done with a bunch of volunteers to make this place run smoothly (and it is run very smoothly). I'm sorry you don't like the name, but what's done is done. – Philip Regan Feb 1 '11 at 22:30
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@Philip LOL at your 'Jonathon'. @Jonathan I like the name. And I don't want to sound rude but you have been a member for 5 months yet you have barely participated except for the last few days. The question in meta (in which you added your opinion) has been there for a long time. – Martín Marconcini Feb 2 '11 at 3:11
@Mark re: iPhone, iPad etc: many non-Mac devices are used with Mac hardware — NumberKey is a more exotic example; most associations between Mac and non-Mac devices are subliminal. – Graham Perrin Aug 4 '11 at 15:53
ahhh I get it now! – OrangeBox Apr 24 '12 at 2:05
up vote 2 down vote

Like Kyle said, "Think Different" was (and technically still is) Apple's motto and slogan. They have used it since 1984, I believe, and it has become a staple of their corporation's identity. Honestly I would say that 90% of Apple's users over the age of 18 would recognize this slogan immediately, and the play on it is perfect for this site. I think that it ads a touch of elegance to it, and I also think that it gives those of us who know way too much about Apple some sort of nostalgia/sense of being (I can't really place the proper word for this but I'm sure some of you out there are feeling the same as me).

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What? Think Different was NOT used since 1984, it came around in the late 90s ('97, I believe). And it is not "technically" still their slogan. The campaign ended years ago. That said, I personally like the name Ask Different :) – AriX Feb 17 '11 at 1:21
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Do you remember the 1984 ad (or at least seeing it), the parody of the movie/book 1984? The lady shattered the screen that forced everybody to think the same. That was when the aptly named campaign started, which was in 1984. I think that it is technically still their slogan. Just because you stop advertising it doesn't make it obsolete, and they haven't replaced it with another company-wide slogan. They also still have it on products/signs in their corporate campus and store last time I was there. That said, I too like the phrase Ask Different! – SeniorShizzle Feb 20 '11 at 4:45
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How many iPhone and iPad users know about this slogan?For most of people name of the site doesn't make sense. – Michael Freidgeim Jun 23 '12 at 22:11

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