Had Telecom left its renaming to the online world, it is unlikely ‘Spark’ would have been the name chosen. After all, this is a community whose vernacular specialises in cat videos, with an attention span that rarely exceeds 160 characters. Leaving major rebranding decisions to the fate of the internet democracy doesn’t often make for a bulletproof corporate strategy.

If you’re reading this with a quizzical brow, recall the recent debacle in which Britain’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) put the naming of their brand-spanking-new £200 million polar research vessel to an internet poll.

The triumphant moniker, with a whopping 124,000 votes and an almost 90,000 lead on the next contender, was none other than RRS Boaty McBoatface. Try saying that with a straight face.

Nothing mocks conservative British pomp more than a ludicrous name for an otherwise respectable research vessel.

The sensationalised phenomenon has polarised the cyber world. Twitterati are gleefully praising the power of internet democracy, creating abundant memes and GIFs rejoicing the absurd choice. Meanwhile others, like Spiked-Online editor Brendan O’Neill, have taken great offence, lamenting the demise of society as we know it and mourning the ushering in of a culturally-deprived generation.

O’Neill writes, with a pen dipped in acid, “The Boaty McBoatface thing speaks to the rise of a new post-modern generation that has absolutely no sense of history or depth or meaning”.

Perhaps he’s right. But does the decision really warrant such hyperbolised vexation? Or are we feigning surprise and outrage? This is the mysterious interwebs after all, a virtual community that scarcely abides by the (mostly) sensible etiquette of the physical world.

That is what you get when you put a decision to the democratic will of the internet.

And what’s the worst that can happen? It is just a silly name. Besides, NERC has conceded it is unlikely to endorse the popular choice after it became evident the internet was not to settle upon a title considered more befitting of such a vessel.

If anything, the event has made for a brilliant PR campaign for NERC. Perhaps the masses will more keenly support NERCs mission with such a comically-dubbed vessel?

The consequences here aren’t so bad. But it is a cautionary tale of what should – and should not – be left to online popular opinion. If I were to lobby my boss to change the name of this organisation, it’s unlikely he’d leave it to an internet poll…