Stylish, compact, unobtrusive forms and appealing colors are commonly considered WAF. The term is a tongue-in-cheek play on electronics jargon such as ‘form factor’ and ‘power factor’ and derives from the gender stereotype that men are predisposed to appreciate gadgetry and performance criteria whereas women must be wooed by visual and aesthetic factors. […] WAF is sometimes also known as Woman Acceptance Factor, Woman Approval Factor, or Woman Appeal Factor to accommodate unmarried heterosexual couples. As early as 1988, the term Spouse Acceptance Factor (SAF) was suggested as a term uniformly and equally applicable to heterosexual, gay, and lesbian couples. For instance, Neil Cherry’s book Linux Smart Home for Dummies uses both ‘Spouse Approval Factor’ and ‘Spouse Acceptance Factor’ as it does not specify the sex of the reader. In Cherry’s opinion, while SAF ‘sounds like a joke, it isn’t.’ He continues by explaining that persons of any sex may be interested in keeping the home as peaceful as possible while indulging their interest in Linux-based electronics such as X10 devices for home automation.
