In a collosal fail that has got the Malaysian (& Singaporean) twitterverse and blogosphere at LOL & WTF, Microsoft Research has named a software product ‘Cibai’!.
From http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=78035
In case you don’t know why this is so bad, you have to understand Malaysian/Singaporean slang. ‘Cibai’ is a slang term for a woman’s vagina. There is currently no slang term for a man’s vagina at the time of reporting.
The equivalent in English of ‘cibai’ would be ‘cunt’, or ‘pussy’.
‘Cibai’ is a a Chinese dialect (specifically, Hokkien) term for vagina, and ‘Cibai’ remains the most popular spelling. Other variations include ‘chee bye’, ‘chibai’, or ‘ji bai’. ‘Cibai’ can also be used as the equivalent of ‘damn’! or ‘fuck!’, as it is also used as an exclamation if someone is angry or upset. It also can be used with adjectives, eg ‘Chau cibai’ basically means ’smelly cunt’. There’s also the 6 hit combo ‘Kan Ni Neh Chau Ci Bai’ (often abbreviated to KNNCCB) term that is quite popular that means, er, nevermind.
You can see more the term defined here at urbandictionary.In short it’s one of the worst things you could call your software product.
The world needs to learn a new swear word in Hokkien…please Digg this article!
‘Cibai’ remains the most popular spelling for the vulgar term, chalking up over 160,000+ results on Google…and 36,000+ on Microsoft’s own Live Search.
Worse, Microsoft Research’s ‘Cibai’ doesn’t even appear to be an acronym. It appears to be a random name, and a very unfortunately chosen one at that.
Update: It is an acronym, and we have gotten what is close to an ‘official response!’ See the comments section of this blog for the full explanation… but here’s what the programmer has to say:
Official Explanation from the Microsoft Researcher who developed CIBAI, Francesco Logozzo: “This is an old project I made when I was at university. I do not maintain it anymore, and the name stands for “Class Invariants By Abstract Interpretation” (CIBAI) “.
So there you have it!
This is probably on par with the OGC logo gaffe sometime back (tilt your head sideways when you see the image if you don’t ‘get it’.)
To be fair, the Microsoft Cibai ‘productivity’ software was launched way back in 2007, and has largely gone unnoticed, until recently:
From the Microsoft Research site:
We introduce Cibai a generic static analyzer based on abstract interpretation for the modular analysis and verification of Java classes. We present the abstract semantics and the underlying abstract domain, a combination of an aliasing analysis and octagons.
We discuss some implementation issues, and we compare Cibai with similar tools, showing how Cibai achieves a higher level of automation and precision while having comparable performances.
Well, I’m sure consumers will be delighted to see how their ‘Cibai’ can ‘achieve a higher level of automation and precision’. Because regular ‘Cibai’s are well, not automated, and not precise…
As a male without a ‘cibai’, it’s not really my place to be offended. However I’m sure that there are some females that would be. Probably not the best idea to launch a product without searching for the term to see what it means first, yes?
For the benefit of foreign readers, here’s a usage example of the term ‘cibai’.
“Cibai, why did you not research the name first before you named your product THAT! Now everyone laughing at us! Chau Cibai!”
Oh and I’m a proud Microsoft Windows XP user and am very interested to see how Microsoft Malaysia/Singapore officially responds to this…
(A person working in Microsoft has unofficially responded, see the comments in the post).
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Update: ‘Cibai’ is now in the top 3 trending topics on Twitter!
We made it to Urbandictionary!
Now this post is the #2 search term for “microsoft cibai”
Advertlets + BloggerUnited Bloggers at Rebellz Launch @ Goddezz!
Are you for real man?! What’s the link to the actual Microsoft product of this name?
What’s next? Microsoft Lanc*u?
[Reply]
Josh Lim Reply:
May 19th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
The link is in the post
Or Google for ‘Microsoft Cibai’ to see the cached version…
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Nic Reply:
March 1st, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Microsoft LANC*U: Local Area Network Connecting Anywhere Universally…
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[...] VAGINA! It can best be translated into the dredded C word… “C_ _ _”. As Josh Lim puts it… Cibai’ is a a Chinese dialect (specifically, Hokkien) term for vagina, and [...]
lol. josh, this is freaking farney.
btw it gets free promo in malaysia/singapore after it get launched and especially when lots of people know bout it.
”hey, have u heard of the microsoft cibai already?!”
or
” microsoft cibai is good, have a try”
LMAO!!!!
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Im Stunned………
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sooner or later, u’ll see things like Mircrosoft Lanjiao or even Intel Tiunaseng Processor core duo
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Maybe they know what it means and they want to ride on it’s popularity…
Hang on a minute, while I go laugh until I roll on the floor…
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lol cibai?
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They truely have to research on names before pushing out their products.
Cibai lol, don’t think that there will be ladies buying it.
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LOL .. that is the greatest product joke MS can come out with.
“we compare Cibai with similar tools, showing how Cibai achieves a higher level of automation and precision while having comparable performances”
the level of automation can be achieved thru an external plugin called dildo
Good one Josh.
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ok, now that everyone had some fun at Microsoft’s expense, here’s the official explanation from the Researcher, Francesco Logozzo.
“This is an old project I made when I was at university. I do not maintain it anymore, and the name stands for “Class Invariants By Abstract Interpretation” (CIBAI) ”
so there, not everyone knows our slang
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This is the original paper on Class Invariants By Abstract Interpretation
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1480379
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Lokes, and what an odd occasion to see you here. By the way Josh, the spelling wasn’t the right one anyway - if you really knows Hokkien. It should start with J.
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walau so funny the microsoft name.
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ohh dear..tis is so vulgar..
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I guess when the application screws up , people can say “That CIBAI application…” and no one will get offended.
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microsoft konek bile nak kuar?
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The reason this site is #2 for “Microsoft Cibai” search terms is that it makes things up.
Microsoft has never published a “Microsoft Cibai ‘productivity’ software”.
A RESEARCHER, NOW employed at Microsoft, has PREVIOUSLY published
a RESEARCH PROTOTYPE named CIBAI.
It’s an analyzer for Java. How much do you seriously think Java is of a preoccupation
for Microsoft employees?
And if you think that research prototypes are “productivity software”, you have
never tried one.
Congratulations for the google rank, perhaps you can do even better
if you make up something even more outrageous.
[Reply]
Josh Lim Reply:
May 25th, 2009 at 3:49 am
Dear Damian,
Notice that ‘productivity’ was used in quotes. This was an attempt at humour because the vagina, also known as a ‘cibai’ in local slang, is a ‘reproductive’ organ. They also say sarcasm is the highest form of humour. Congratulations, you fail at the following:
a) discerning sarcasm
b) understanding how search engine rankings work.
On b), why would another term in the same post I use affect searches for ‘Microsoft Cibai’?
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Lol! This is legendary!
Wonder what they’ll come up with next XD
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[...] twitterers in Singapore and Malaysia discovered an old project called CIBAI yesterday and started sniggering because cibai is a Hokkien slang term for [...]
If I am Microsoft’s Malaysia or Singapore management, i will say –> This time really cibai loh…
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[...] 在读Josh Lim的博客看到这文章: Microsoft [...]
i learn a lot on this forum
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kakakaka wakakaka….
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What’s Nxt ?? Microsoft LanJiao(Penis)
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[...] With that in mind, here’s Microsoft’s proud and brazen use of, if I may use the proper vernacular, see you next tuesday. http://josh.my/2009/05/microsoft-cibai-microsoft-names-new-software-after-slang-term-for-vagina/ [...]
There should be no Malaysian/Singaporian’s chinese involved in the project, hahaa…
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Thats stretching it abit. “Chee Bai” would be better. More pithy and natural. “Ci Bai” sounds like the damn thing has razor sharp edges or is thin and sickly. “Chee” gives a better feel for the thing. So no.
Wait for LAN-JIAO, bound to happen sometime . . .
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OMG!!!! i lost my emo alreday……… MS CiBai
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Cibai is not a thing to be taken lightly nor to be a source of humour and definitely not a product. It is the holy grail for the many lonely dicks out there whose only source of gratification is the the substitute/poor cousin - Mr Hand. FOR THE MANY LONELY DICKS WITHOUT ACCESS TO Cibais - I say to u.. STand up and be counted! Be proud!
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Ma Cibai~pukimak lancau
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Man’s penis is called Lanchiau or whatever spelling you want to give it. But so far I never heard of Man’s vagina unless you talking about those who went under the knife and cut cut cut… arg! No more comment on that…
P.S. I was using google to search for microsoft word malay checker and I stumble upon this urg…
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“In case you don’t know why this is so bad, you have to understand Malaysian/Singaporean slang. ‘Cibai’ is a slang term for a woman’s vagina. There is currently no slang term for a man’s vagina at the time of reporting.”
Lol, dude. “Man’s vagina”? Hahahahaha
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