Android's 'N-Word' Poll Sparks Online Jeers

Google's Android ran afoul of social media users on Wednesday after encouraging people to nominate a word starting with the letter "N" for the latest version of its mobile operating platform.

Michael Short | Bloomberg via Getty Images

An Android website asked for submissions for "any tasty ideas that start with the letter N" for its new "Android N" operating platform, which was unveiled at its Google I/O developers conference on Wednesday.

The backlash ranged from gentle ribbing to invocations of the term "the n-word," which is frequently used as a stand-in for an offensive racial slur.

google please do not ask the internet to send you n-words https://t.co/Zu3NXolLnk

— jon hendren (@fart) May 18, 2016

A representative for Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc, declined to comment.

Android Nope #NameAndroidN

— Schrödinger Cait (@stimpyjaycat) May 18, 2016

I think it's obvious how #nameandroidn can go terribly wrong lol

— Tøm (@skullisnull) May 18, 2016

Gizmodo reported on Wednesday that the online anonymous message board 4chan was flooding the Android's name submission site with suggestions akin to an offensive epithet for black people.

Some social media users suggested "nachos," "Nutella" and "nectarine."

Please enter the word "Nutella" right here https://t.co/S6XjPEptJ0

— Sharon Profis (@sharonprofis) May 18, 2016

(Reporting By Amy Tennery; Editing by Toni Reinhold)