[Doriana] Planning a bank robbery

[Doriana]

What do Mary, Robert and John have in common?

[TDGperson]

That they're all very common names.

Are they names of specific people? Did any of them rob a bank? Plan to? Did their bank robbery attempt fail? If so, did they get caught while planning? during the robbery?

Did they all plan to rob a bank at the same time? At different times? Did they rob a bank together? Plan a bank robbery together?

Did any of them write a book about a bank robbery? Make a movie? Make a theater play?

Are there any people other than those 3 involved?

[Doriana]

That they're all very common names. This was probably meant as a throwaway observation, but it's very relevant to the puzzle

Are they names of specific people? No Did any of them rob a bank? Plan to? Did their bank robbery attempt fail? If so, did they get caught while planning? during the robbery?

Did they all plan to rob a bank at the same time? At different times? Did they rob a bank together? Plan a bank robbery together?

Did any of them write a book about a bank robbery? Make a movie? Make a theater play? No to all, and no actual bank robberies are relevant

Are there any people other than those 3 involved? No, and see above

[WiZ]

Does the commonality have to do with: The history of the names? The meaning of the names? The demographics of those who wear the names? The way these names are ascribed to things other than people (houses, hurricanes, boats, nuclear testing projects etc)? The representation of the names in media? Wikipedia/other encyclopedias? The spelling of the names? Some orthographical component?

[hominid]

Are we trying to figure out what the names Mary, Robert, and John have in common? Nicknames relevant?

Are Mary, Robert, and John the names of animals? objects? ideas?

[Doriana]

Does the commonality have to do with: The history of the names? Yope The meaning of the names? No The demographics of those who wear the names? Yope The way these names are ascribed to things other than people (houses, hurricanes, boats, nuclear testing projects etc)? No The representation of the names in media? Yes, but beware of FA Wikipedia/other encyclopedias? Noish, DOYD of encyclopedia The spelling of the names? Some orthographical component? No to these

Are we trying to figure out what the names Mary, Robert, and John have in common? Yes indeed Nicknames relevant? No

Are Mary, Robert, and John the names of animals? objects? ideas? No to all

[WiZ]

Are lists of names (e.g. electoral rolls, phone books etc) relevant?

[Doriana]

Are lists of names (e.g. electoral rolls, phone books etc) relevant? Yes, but (probably) not the examples you mentioned

[WiZ]

Are games or works of fiction relevant? Is the act of naming (newborns, characters) relevant?

Edit: Is there a legal aspect (e.g. lists of allowable names in certain countries)? Is there a linguistic element (e.g. names that are common/understood in multiple countries/languages)?

[Doriana]

Are games or works of fiction relevant? No Is the act of naming (newborns Yes, characters No) relevant? Not the act itself, but the result

Edit: Is there a legal aspect (e.g. lists of allowable names in certain countries)? Is there a linguistic element (e.g. names that are common/understood in multiple countries/languages)? No to both

[Hobbsicle]

Lists of top baby names for a given year relevant? Google relevant? Other technology? Are the names relevantly becoming less popular? More popular? Having a steady and sustained popularity?

[klondike mary]

Lists of rulers relevant?
If so, rulers of Scotland (the only country I can think of, offhand, to have a King Robert)?

[Doriana]

Lists of top baby names Yes for a given year relevant? Yesish, think bigger Google relevant? No Other technology? Yesish Are the names relevantly becoming less popular? More popular? Irrel to these Having a steady and sustained popularity? This is relevant

[JenBurdoo]

Is a bank of any sort relevant? A blood bank, perhaps? Are John, Robert and Mary related by family?

[Doriana]

Missed a set of questions earlier, sorry!
Lists of rulers relevant?
If so, rulers of Scotland (the only country I can think of, offhand, to have a King Robert)?
No to all, but good idea

Is a bank of any sort relevant? A blood bank, perhaps? No to these Are John, Robert and Mary related by family? No, they're not specific people

[Enjay]

Have those names stayed popular for a certain/long amount of time? Eg they have all appeared in the top names list every year for a century or something like that?

Are they the only names that share this thing? Could you have included more names in your puzzle statement?

[Doriana]

Have those names stayed popular for a certain/long amount of time? For a long time, yes Eg they have all appeared in the top names list every year for a century or something like that? OTRT

Are they the only names that share this thing? Yes Could you have included more names in your puzzle statement? No

[hoodie]

Are they relevant because they were the most common, period?
Or because they were the most common among a particular set of people?

If the latter,

People of a particular profession?
People who held a particular title or office?
People who did something specific?
People who lived in a particular time period?

[Doriana]

Are they relevant because they were the most common, period? It's relevant that they were the most common or very common for an extended period of time
Or because they were the most common among a particular set of people?

If the latter,

People of a particular profession?
People who held a particular title or office?
People who did something specific?
People who lived in a particular time period?

[WiZ]

Are they the only names that have been in the Top x in three different centuries?

[Doriana]

Are they the only names that have been in the Top x in three different centuries? No/irrel

[JenBurdoo]

Is the fact that they can be modified to name a member of the opposite sex (Joan, Roberta, etc) relevant?

[Doriana]

Is the fact that they can be modified to name a member of the opposite sex (Joan, Roberta, etc) relevant? No

[trebor]

PMing guess.

[klondike mary]

Does this puzzle have a specific relevance to Canada? To North America? To English-speaking countries generally? or to any English-speaking country?

[JenBurdoo]

Would the puzzle still work if these were non-English variants of the names (Johann, Rupprecht, Maria)?

[Doriana]

klondike mary
Does this puzzle have a specific relevance to Canada? To North America? To English-speaking countries generally? or to any English-speaking country? It has a specific relevance to the US

JenBurdoo
Would the puzzle still work if these were non-English variants of the names (Johann, Rupprecht, Maria)? No

HINT: We've established that technology and media are both relevant(ish). Think about what you might find at the intersection of the two.

[klondike mary]

Communication relevant?
If so, print? electronic? telephone/telegraph?

[TDGperson]

Social media relevant? Referring to someone by their name? Searching for someone's profile on social media? People registering and then finding out they can't use their name because it's already in use? Mistaken identities relevant?

[Doriana]

Communication relevant? DOYD of "communication"
If so, print? electronic? This telephone/telegraph?

Social media relevant? DOYD of "social media" Referring to someone by their name? Searching for someone's profile on social media? People registering and then finding out they can't use their name because it's already in use? Mistaken identities relevant? No to rest

[trebor]

Are cell phones relevant? Computers? Tablets? TV?

DYOD of "social media": chat forums? Message boards? An online platform? News-sharing sites?

Does it have a relevance to the US because that's where this happens? Because of some aspect of US history? Because it ties in with place names? US politics relevant? Being named after politicians or their children/spouses relevant?

[markobr]

Is the use of surenames and/or middle names besides these names relevant? The ordering of lists of names? Malfunction of electronic devices? The use of names in lateral puzzles set and solved in this forum?

[Doriana]

Are cell phones relevant? Computers? Tablets? All of these are indirectly relevant TV? No

DYOD of "social media": chat forums? Message boards? An online platform? News-sharing sites? No to all

Does it have a relevance to the US because that's where this happens? Yes for svv of "happens" Because of some aspect of US history? Because it ties in with place names? US politics relevant? Being named after politicians or their children/spouses relevant? No to rest

Is the use of surenames and/or middle names besides these names relevant? The ordering of lists of names? Malfunction of electronic devices? The use of names in lateral puzzles set and solved in this forum? No to all

[Balin]

Are they common passwords?

[Doriana]

Are they common passwords? No/irrel, but good idea

[Balin]

Are they the names of something electronic? Of electronic devices? Software? Programs?

[Doriana]

Are they the names of something electronic? Of electronic devices? Software? Programs? No, the names are only relevant as first names given to human babies

[Mimino]

Typing relevant? Are these names in some way easier to type?

[Doriana]

Typing relevant? Are these names in some way easier to type? No/irrel

HINT (in white): It's specifically relevant that these names are popular in comparison to other names.

[Balin]

Popularity relevant? Have they been consistently popular for X length of time?

[Balin]

Alternately, are they common aliases?

[hoodie]

Are they English names that are popular in non-English speaking countries?

[trebor]

Are they used to create fake accounts?

[Doriana]

Balin
Popularity relevant? Yes Have they been consistently popular for X length of time? Yes, for a very long time - precise length not relevant though
Alternately, are they common aliases? Irrel

hoodie
Are they English names that are popular in non-English speaking countries? Irrel

trebor
Are they used to create fake accounts? Irrel

[trebor]

Are quiz sites relevant? (I’ve done quizzes like “Top Ten Baby Names of [x decade]”.)

Are specific unpopular names relevant? Is a specific form of electronic communication relevant?

Are birth announcements relevant? Do people relevantly read these names?

Stuck on the intersection of technology and media. Is a specific intersection relevant? Is it email? Are they the names with the most numbers after them in email addresses?

[Doriana]

Are quiz sites relevant? No (I’ve done quizzes like “Top Ten Baby Names of [x decade]”. But lists like this are relevant)

Are specific unpopular names relevant? No Is a specific form of electronic communication relevant? Yes, although "communication" might have been misleading

Are birth announcements relevant? No Do people relevantly read these names? You can indeed relevantly read them somewhere

Stuck on the intersection of technology and media. Is a specific intersection relevant? Yes Is it email? No Are they the names with the most numbers after them in email addresses? No, but good idea