“Bitchin’ Betty” Says Farewell: Beloved Voice Behind Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet Retires
Why Hacker News recommends it
Cited as an example of effective alarm and voice-alert design and in discussions of reactions to female voices.
What it is
A short Boeing piece on the retirement of the voice behind the F/A-18 Super Hornet cockpit warning system, nicknamed Bitchin' Betty. It touches on why the stern voice alerts are used.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2016 to 2022.
What Hacker News said
Recommends dfsegoat · 2016-11 · on “An Alarm Designer on How to Annoy People in the Most Effective Ways”
Along these same lines, one of my favorite examples of this type of work (human factors related to attention/alerting) is "Bitchin' Betty" and company - the female voice that makes up the "oral alert system" from the F/A-18 superhornet: [this video] A lot of research went into everything from the gender to the tone of the voice so that pilots would know to immediately pay attention to the warning system above everything else. [0] - [LINK]
Cites sandworm101 · 2017-05 · on “Go Ahead and Date Your Digital Assistant”
There is some science behind this. Studies have shown that people, both men and women, react differently to a female voice. Sometimes that reaction can make a real difference. [this video]
Cites iwillbenice · 2022-10 · on ““Women are wonderful” effect”
Not just the USSR! The UK and US did the same too! For more info: [LINK] [this video] My personal opinion is the "Bitching Betty" voice with its crisp instructions and authoritative tone makes us subliminally think of our mother giving us guidance or reprimand at an early age. It is a great design; it has saved a TON of pilot lives who otherwise would have accidentally perished.