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I kind of doubt that these two names are related except that they both derive from the same common idiom.

by chc 13y ago

ZeroGravitas 13y ago
Also "by and large" is a nautical term meaning (roughly) "whether sailing against the wind or sailing with the wind".
- twelvechairs 13y ago
  and a common phrase (though a little less used than in previous generations) meaning 'generally'
  - zissou 13y ago
    Confirmed about the generational decline: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=by+and+large&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=by+and+large&y...
- derefr 13y ago
  Interesting to interpret in that context. Maybe a data center intended to work best exactly when other centers would be experiencing losses in connectivity?
- stevenrace 13y ago
  While we're speculating on the meaning behind the name(s) RE:wind, remember that Google acquired Makani Power a while back. They build wind generated power systems using large kites. What better place to put them into production than at sea where there isn't much worry about crashing to the ground. http://www.makanipower.com/home/ http://www.makanipower.com/home/
  - radiorental 13y ago
    unlikely that the Makani planes would be run from a ship. They each have a huge arc, much larger than the diameter of a traditional turbine. Furthermore, what's the concern with them crashing in to the ground? It's not like they plan to install them directly over populated areas.
    - jamornh 13y ago
      From the website: "Opens up large new areas of wind resource, including the vast resources offshore above deep water"[1] Doesn't sound that far fetched that they would try to anchor this to the barge to try to tap that potential. [1] - http://www.makanipower.com/why-airborne-wind/ http://www.makanipower.com/why-airborne-wind/
    - Surio 13y ago
      >> unlikely that the Makani planes would be run from a ship. Something like this, perhaps: http://www.skysails.info/english http://www.skysails.info/english
joezydeco 13y ago
I wouldn't put it past Google to use a tongue-in-cheek name, especially when a good hunk of WALL-E takes place around a massive starship that serves as a floating ark. The nautical double-entendre that ZeroGravitas mentions only sweetens the deal.

I kind of doubt that these two names are related except that they both derive from the same common idiom.

by chc 13y ago

I kind of doubt that these two names are related except that they both derive from the same common idiom.

ZeroGravitas 13y ago

Also "by and large" is a nautical term meaning (roughly) "whether sailing against the wind or sailing with the wind".

twelvechairs 13y ago
and a common phrase (though a little less used than in previous generations) meaning 'generally'
- zissou 13y ago
  Confirmed about the generational decline: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=by+and+large&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=by+and+large&y...
derefr 13y ago
Interesting to interpret in that context. Maybe a data center intended to work best exactly when other centers would be experiencing losses in connectivity?
stevenrace 13y ago
While we're speculating on the meaning behind the name(s) RE:wind, remember that Google acquired Makani Power a while back. They build wind generated power systems using large kites. What better place to put them into production than at sea where there isn't much worry about crashing to the ground. http://www.makanipower.com/home/ http://www.makanipower.com/home/
- radiorental 13y ago
  unlikely that the Makani planes would be run from a ship. They each have a huge arc, much larger than the diameter of a traditional turbine. Furthermore, what's the concern with them crashing in to the ground? It's not like they plan to install them directly over populated areas.
  - jamornh 13y ago
    From the website: "Opens up large new areas of wind resource, including the vast resources offshore above deep water"[1] Doesn't sound that far fetched that they would try to anchor this to the barge to try to tap that potential. [1] - http://www.makanipower.com/why-airborne-wind/ http://www.makanipower.com/why-airborne-wind/
  - Surio 13y ago
    >> unlikely that the Makani planes would be run from a ship. Something like this, perhaps: http://www.skysails.info/english http://www.skysails.info/english

joezydeco 13y ago

I wouldn't put it past Google to use a tongue-in-cheek name, especially when a good hunk of WALL-E takes place around a massive starship that serves as a floating ark. The nautical double-entendre that ZeroGravitas mentions only sweetens the deal.