In a comment to yesterday's post, Mr Yorkshire Pudding asked if Bing Copilot was related to Bing Crosby. Always taking comments from my readers seriously (hrm), I went directly to the source for an answer...
Me: Why is Bing called Bing?
Copilot: Bing, the search engine owned by Microsoft, has an interesting backstory behind its name. Let’s delve into it:
1. Dr. Richard Bing: The name “Bing” is attributed to Dr. Richard Bing, who was 99 years old when he reached out to Microsoft. In a fax to Mich Mathews, the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Dr. Bing expressed his interest in collaborating with Microsoft because they had “used his name for our new search engine”. (1) It’s quite remarkable that a nonagenarian played a role in naming a major search engine!
2. Origins and Interpretations: The name “Bing” has various interpretations and meanings. One theory suggests that it originated from the Germanic word “bion,” which means “to stay” or “to dwell.” Over time, “bion” evolved into “bing,” a term associated with a heap or pile. (2) Perhaps this reflects the idea of accumulating information and knowledge through search.
3. Integration with Microsoft: In 2020, Microsoft rebranded Bing as “Microsoft Bing” to better reflect its integration with other Microsoft products. The new name emphasizes how Bing seamlessly integrates with the broader Microsoft ecosystem. (3)
So, whether it’s a nod to Dr. Richard Bing or a play on words related to gathering information, the name “Bing” has become synonymous with online search.
(1) thewindowsclub.com
(2) letslearnslang.com
(3) windowscentral.com
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| Bing AI designer at work in his office |
And apparently, this is what Bing looks like. No doubt about it - I got four pictures of the same guy. (He does seem to take pride in changing his shirt every day, though.)
Judge for yourselves whether he might be related to Bing Crosby or not.
I actually can't rule it out...
