I thought The Sci-Fi Channel name change to SyFy was a little pointless and desperate.

Here’s another one.  Effective today, Radio Shack is in for a name change.  The Shack.  According to spokespeople, it “has long been referred to” as The Shack by customers, and dropping “Radio” will make it more assessable. Huh?

I’m not so sure about that, but then, I am totally living in the past when it comes to what used to be my grade-school hangout.  I used to spend HOURS at what was then my local Radio Shack (Ridge/Hudson Plaza in Rochester NY) perusing the electronic parts and switches, scheming to build a bully-busting robot or a something equally fantastic. That was back when Radio Shack was less about consumer electronics and cell phones and more about electrical components and circuit boards – more geared toward the professional or hobbyist. Back when the “associates” were fellow geeks who understood and could answer questions about resisters and the newly introduced integrated circuit – instead of cell phone plans.

The Shack, as I suppose it must now be called, sounds kind of vague and “beachfront” to me.  It sounds like a rickety, dusty old place peopled by beatniks. A place to buy a surfboard, a burger, or a banana split.

Apparently, the company formerly known as Radio Shack has in fact given up on the radio – in this era of iPods and Pandora, maybe they believe that “radio” is too banal a concept for a new generation of consumers.  But is “shack” really any better or more relatable?