I give up, why the "Borg"?

[Mike Vermeil]

Alright, I've been here from the biginning, and have never been able to figure out why people call it the Borg. What gives? Is there some Sci/Fi movie from the 60's I've never seen?

[Jim Becker]

The "Borg" was a society in Star Trek where there were no individuals...everyone was "wired in" as a single mentality for "the good of the whole", but not necessarily other societys. The popular quote from that concept was, "You will be assimilated..."

Hence the nickname for the big-box stores as the 'Borg...

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Mike. The Borg originated in the TV series Star Trek, Next Generation. The Borg were a group of half automaton, half not, beings that moved throughout the galaxy destroying societies and assimilating the members thereof. There mantra of the Borg was "resistance is futile, you will be assimilated."

The marketing/growth patterns of both Home Depot and Loews have given them the the nickname of "the borg." They move into a town and essentially run the local hardware/lumber business out of business thus assimilating the them.

[Aaron Heck]

I thought HD was called the BORG for "Big Orange Retail Giant". When someone says BORG to me, I peronally only think of HD, and not Lowes and the other stores.

[Stephen Dixon]

you said it just right

[John Hemenway]

And then there is the resemblance between HD, Lowes and the BORG spacecraft. Great big BOXES! :)

[Dave Wright #2]

"Big Orange Retail Giant"...thanks...goes to show that even questions that have been run before are worth checking out. I always assumed Ken's definition, and use the term in reference to any of the home improvement store chains. I'll probably continue to use it that way because the BORG I use is actually a BBRG (Lowe's).

[Jerry Olexa]

I thought HD was called the BORG for "Big Orange Retail Giant". When someone says BORG to me, I peronally only think of HD, and not Lowes and the other stores.
Right on Aaron. Thats what I thought too. Anyway, they are a necessary but dominating evil...:cool:

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Yep, when I first heard the borg I didn't know what it meant. Took me about a year for someone to say Big orange retail giant! Kinda like walmart only orange :)

[Mike Vermeil]

I don't buy the Big Orange Retail thing. It's always about the SciFi. Next thing you know there'll be a posting about soilent green.

[Bill Fellmy]

Interestingly enough, the acronym BORG also means "buying organization."

[Dan Mages]

The borg also refers to the mindless meatheads you find working at these stores. They no nothing about what they do or what they sell unless it comes from the central collective.

IMO

Dan

[David Fried]

Now that I understand borg, can someone explain "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto"? :D

[Jim Becker]

Now that I understand borg, can someone explain "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto"?
Sounds very much like the Russian I'm trying to learn. I keep having to untie the knot in my tongue from all those consonants...:o

[Michael Ballent]

Sounds very much like the Russian I'm trying to learn. I keep having to untie the knot in my tongue from all those consonants...:o
I would have to say that it sounds more Celtic, but then again that's just a stab

[Joanne Adler]

Gort is the robot in "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Klaatu is the alien (Michael Rennie). The phrase is what Michael Rennie tells Patricia Neal to say to keep Gort from destroying the world or her. Go rent the movie--a sci fi classic.

[Dan Mages]

Gort is the robot in "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Klaatu is the alien (Michael Rennie). The phrase is what Michael Rennie tells Patricia Neal to say to keep Gort from destroying the world or her. Go rent the movie--a sci fi classic.
I think this thread has been officially highjacked!

Thank you Joanne. You are correct! It is from that masterpiece of a movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still. It is also a great parable of 1950's politics. If you have not seen it, I reccomend you purchase a copy of the movie.

Dan

[David Fried]

Obviously, I haven't seen it. The kids are at mom's this weekend so I will try to borrow a copy. Thanks! :)

[Mark Stutz]

I suspect it's Klingon, though I can' translate!

[Joanne Adler]

Not Klingon, Mark (see above info), but if you wanted to check, go here:


http://soultrek.net/faq/klindictionary.htm and try typing it in. :-)