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Contents:
punc. w/ computer text (Michele Berkes 615-576-2352 <[log in to unmask]>)
RE: punc. w/ computer text (Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>)
Re: punc. w/ computer text ([log in to unmask] (Evie Mandel))
Re: punc. w/ computer text ([log in to unmask])
punc. w/ computer text (Bill Arnett <[log in to unmask]>)
Re: punc. w/ computer text ([log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts))
RE: punc. w/ computer text (Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>)
Re: punc. w/ computer text (Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>)
Ooops! (Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>)
capital E-mail, etc. ([log in to unmask] (Evie Mandel))
Re: punc. w/ computer text ("Amy Finnerty (615) 576-6800" <[log in to unmask]
>)
Re: Ooops! ([log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts))
Re: punc. w/ computer text (lpraderio <[log in to unmask]>)
Re[2]: punc. w/ computer text (lpraderio <[log in to unmask]>)
E-mail and punctuation ([log in to unmask])
Re: capital E-mail, etc. ([log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts))
RE: capital E-mail, etc. (Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>)
Re: Ooops! (Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>)
RE: E-mail and punctuation (Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>)
RE: punc. w/ computer text (WE'LL TEACH YOU A LEARNING YOU'LL NEVER FORGET <hast
[log in to unmask])
Re: capital E-mail, etc. ("Steve Koski" <[log in to unmask]>)
Re: E-mail and punctuation ("Amy Finnerty (615) 576-6800" <[log in to unmask]
>)
Re: capital E-mail, etc. ([log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts))
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1993 10:36:00 -0500
From: Michele Berkes 615-576-2352 <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: punc. w/ computer text
I am editing a list of educational programs, some of which describe
how to gain access to databases and other electronic information
services. I have run into a couple of questions that I thought someone
out there might be able to help with.
Does anyone know how to capitalize the online services "internet" and
"telnet"? My original manuscript has them both all lowercase in one
place and Internet with initial cap later.
Also, is there a convention for punctuating around e-mail addresses,
computer commands, etc.? For example, I have a sentence that reads
something like
Questions can be answered by telnet at [log in to unmask] .
The address does not include the end-of-sentence period, so the author
of the manuscript typed a space between the address and the
end-of-sentence period. Is this standard? Is there a standard?
My audience will include students, teachers, members of the general
public, etc., so I can assume nothing about their prior knowledge.
Thanks for your help.
Michele Berkes
[log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 12:12:00 -0500
From: Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: punc. w/ computer text
Michele: When we give network addresses (or somesuch) in user
documentation, our convention is to bold the address line (I've
also seen italics used). The point is to avoid quotation marks or
anything that might look like it is part of the address.
The way we avoid the hassle with the period is to cast the
sentence so that the mail address (or command line, or whatever)
does not end the sentence. If we can't do that gracefully, we
fink out thusly:
by putting the offending line here
Then we just blow off the period all together.
That's our temporary patch--if you find something better, please
let me know! :)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 04:56:10 -0500
From: [log in to unmask] (Evie Mandel)
Subject: Re: punc. w/ computer text
> Does anyone know how to capitalize the online services "internet" and
> "telnet"? My original manuscript has them both all lowercase in one
> place and Internet with initial cap later.
internet: a collection of interconnected networks, a "network of
^ networks"
Internet: a specific world-wide collection of interconnected networks
^ (mainly academic, research and government). Internet (or "the
Internet") is the world's largest internet.
The telnet question stumps me, as does FTP/ftp. The way I work it out
for our documents is that telnet is a command you type and Telnet is a
program that provides telnet services. (ie telnet is generic). I don't
know if this is correct. Similarly, FTP is the name of a protocol, and
ftp is a command that uses that protocol. Does anyone know if this is
right?
However, it's really hard to make picky little distinctions like that
clear to novice users -- it often just looks inconsistent, as if an
error has been made. I'm starting to think it would be better to pick
one form and stick with that, except for the most technical of
documentation.
> Also, is there a convention for punctuating around e-mail addresses,
> computer commands, etc.? For example, I have a sentence that reads
> something like
> Questions can be answered by telnet at [log in to unmask] .
We work around this by putting the e-mail address is a different font
(courier) or sometimes in the same font, but bold. Depending on the
audience, I prefer rearrange sentences where possible to avoid the
confusion with that final period. Experienced users aren't confused, but
novices sure are.
If anyone has ever seen a good usage guide for this kind of thing I'd
love to know. Programmers in our dept. are great at explaining what ftp
is, but erratic in the way they capitalize it (and so am I!) -- there
seem to be many different ideas, rather than a standard.
------
Evie Mandel [log in to unmask] (Internet) (604) 822-8938
Editorial Assistant, Publications, University Computing Services
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 14:00:45 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: punc. w/ computer text
Michele Berkes asks:
>Does anyone know how to capitalize the online services "internet" and
>"telnet"? My original manuscript has them both all lowercase in one
>place and Internet with initial cap later.
>
We use an initial cap on Telnet, which is a public domain communication
software developed by the National Center for Supercomputer Applications
(at least the version we are using is NCSA's), when it is used in the text
of a document. In an example where "telnet" is used as part of a command,
we use lower case. For example,
% telnet [log in to unmask]
We show it *exactly* the way the user should enter it to reduce confusion
-- no caps or punctuation that are not part of the command or address. We
also bold the example and use the same strategies that Peggy Thompson
suggested.
Evie Mandel writes:
>Similarly, FTP is the name of a protocol, and
>ftp is a command that uses that protocol. Does anyone know if this is
>right?
FTP, as I understand it, is an acronym for "File Transfer Protocol," and we
cap it, except in command examples for the reasons stated above.
We do our best to avoid confusing our users by explaining as much as
possible in the "Conventions" section of our computer documentation. Of
course, we can't make them read the conventions section!
On the Internet vs. internet question: we actually use all caps when
referring to the the worldwide network, but that was a style decision on
our part. I would think that an initial cap would be - shall we say - more
correct than lowercase.
>If anyone has ever seen a good usage guide for this kind of thing I'd
>love to know. Programmers in our dept. are great at explaining what ftp
>is, but erratic in the way they capitalize it (and so am I!) -- there
>seem to be many different ideas, rather than a standard.
Programmers are not always a reliable grammar source, I agree. Our UNIX
people make everything lowercase, and our IBM people make everything
uppercase. We use several sources, and we have developed our own list.
One guide that we particularly like is "Que's Computer User's Dictionary,"
published by the Que Corporation, Indiana. I don't have an address, but
you can order it by calling 1-800-428-5331. It's around $9.95.
This is my first posting to this list. Sorry it got so long.
****************************
Barbara Rigg-Healy, Manager
[log in to unmask]
Publications Group
University of New Mexico
CIRT
Albuquerque, NM 87131-6046
(505) 277-8147
****************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 14:20:56 -0500
From: Bill Arnett <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: punc. w/ computer text
Michele Berkes wrote....
> Does anyone know how to capitalize the online services "internet" and
> "telnet"? My original manuscript has them both all lowercase in one
> place and Internet with initial cap later.
"Internet" should always be capitalized since it is the name of a network
(or collection of networks). The same goes for Bitnet, Compuserve, etc..
On the other hand, Telnet is not an entity in the way that Internet is.
I would probably capitalize it anyway, but I don't know if that is right.
If you refer to the UNIX command "telnet", it should *definitely* be
all lowercase.
FTP vs ftp. (A question you didn't ask.)
Again, the UNIX command is all lowercase. The protocol is all uppercase.
Beyond that it gets questionable. A common phrase (I use it myself) is:
You can ftp the file from...
Should it be caps or not? IMHO it would be much better to change the
sentence to read:
You can use FTP to transfer the file from...
> Also, is there a convention for punctuating around e-mail addresses,
> computer commands, etc.? For example, I have a sentence that reads
> something like
The best rule is NO punctuation around it. I can guarantee that if
you follow it with a period or surround it in quotes *somebody* is
going to type them and get really frustrated. If you really must
end a sentence with an email address, consider omitting the final period.
Clarity is much more important than correct syntax. Omitting the period
doesn't look too bad if you ensure that it is at the end of a paragraph.
(In the middle of a paragraph it is more noticeable.)
> Questions can be answered by telnet at [log in to unmask] .
BTW, this sentence is WRONG. Telnet is *not* used for email. Telnet
is for logging in to remote computers. Email is transferred using a
variety of methods---all of which are irrelevant to the end user.
I might rewrite the sentence something like this:
Questions can be sent by email to
[log in to unmask]
(Punctuate/capitalize "email" however you consider appropriate :-) or
substitute "electronic mail".)
Another possibility:
Questions can be addressed to the author ([log in to unmask]).
Cheers. Bill.
--
Bill Arnett Internet: [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 14:38:15 -0500
From: [log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts)
Subject: Re: punc. w/ computer text
>Does anyone know how to capitalize the online services "internet" and
>"telnet"? My original manuscript has them both all lowercase in one
>place and Internet with initial cap later.
Internet should be capped, and telnet should not. I also use "the Net" when
I'm speaking informally.
>
>Also, is there a convention for punctuating around e-mail addresses,
>computer commands, etc.? For example, I have a sentence that reads
>something like
>
> Questions can be answered by telnet at [log in to unmask] .
>
>The address does not include the end-of-sentence period, so the author
>of the manuscript typed a space between the address and the
>end-of-sentence period. Is this standard? Is there a standard?
I think e-mail addresses should following the same rules as, say,
abbreviations at the ends of sentences. If you had "Acme, Co." at the end
of a sentence, You would use just the period after the "Co" without a space
or another period. BTW, the latest issue of _MacUser_ contains a little
glossary of what they lovingly call geekspeak. :o)
--
Carol Roberts
Publications Services
Cornell University
[log in to unmask]
607 255-9454
Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 15:11:00 -0500
From: Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: punc. w/ computer text
Okay, since "email" and "electronic mail" got into this exchange
(via Bill Arnett), let me share what I just read about THAT (in,
I believe, the Editorial Eye newsletter that Shelley Vickroy
mentioned earlier).
EE's suggestion was E-mail (uppercase E; can't recall how they
defended that, but they did, rather convincingly) for users
completely comfortable with the jargon; otherwise electronic mail
or electronic mail (E-mail) using E-mail thereafter in the
particular piece of writing.
The EE staff seem to be real purists--for those still floundering
on this issue, it couldn't hurt to go with their recommendation.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 15:18:00 -0500
From: Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: punc. w/ computer text
The problem with using conventional punctuation at the ends of
sentences that conclude with a computer command (Carol Roberts)
is that some user somewhere will surely include the sentence
punctuation as part of the command.
I think this is one occasion where our insistence upon what is
stylistically correct in the use of English has to give (would
any of you argue that computerese is NOT English?). :-)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 15:25:00 -0500
From: Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Ooops!
I'm sorry--in my last reply I meant to write, "Would any of you
argue that computerese IS English?" (and therefore subject to
conventional rules).
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 08:29:53 -0500
From: [log in to unmask] (Evie Mandel)
Subject: capital E-mail, etc.
Why E-mail not e-mail? We don't say "Electronic mail" so I can't see why
the abbreviation needs to be capitalized.
In general I prefer to avoid caps unless they're required (for a
trademark, acronym, etc.). We use "e-mail."
I'd also like to quick writing USENET (which is our current standard)
and go to Usenet. The word isn't an acronym. Is it just capped to
emphasize its non-Englishness? A convention left over from terminal
types that use only upper-case perhaps. But USENET is still more common
I think. What do you-all use for that?
I have noticed that the Manchester Guardian's usage for AIDS is Aids.
This is interesting, since AIDS is an acronym, not a word or name in
itself. But then we say measles not Measles and cancer not Cancer, so as
it enters the language as a word, it should, I suppose, lose those caps.
What do you think? Is the Manchester Guardian ahead of its times?
------
Evie Mandel [log in to unmask] (Internet) (604) 822-8938
Editorial Assistant, Publications, University Computing Services
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 16:01:00 -0500
From: "Amy Finnerty (615) 576-6800" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: punc. w/ computer text
The following is excerpted from a paper titled "Using the Internet
for Increased Information Access and Retrieval" presented by Greg
Notess of Montana State University Libraries at the '91
Online/CD-ROM Conference (emphasis added):
"The Internet is a vast interconnection of computer networks that
span the globe...The remote login feature is the most important for
the online searcher, as it allows connections to remote computers,
such as Mead's or STN's or OCLC's, without recourse to fee based
telecommunications services such as Tymnet or SprintNet (formerly
Telenet). Some confusion arises from the name of the Internet
command for remote login (TELNET) which is not the same as Telenet."
I wanted to share this quote because it points out the difference
between Telenet, which is a telecommunications service, and telnet,
which is a communications command. They are often confused, which
is perhaps why the name Telenet has been changed to SprintNet!
In most of the literature I have seen on networks, the preferred
usage is "Internet," "Telenet," and "telnet." At least the first
letter of Internet and Telenet should definitely be capitalized,
since they are recognized entities.
Amy Finnerty
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 16:34:58 -0500
From: [log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts)
Subject: Re: Ooops!
>I'm sorry--in my last reply I meant to write, "Would any of you
>argue that computerese IS English?" (and therefore subject to
>conventional rules).
No, I wouldn't argue that computerese is English. But if a statement in
computerese is inserted into an English sentence, then the whole sentence
should still conform to the standards of English usage, right? If you were
writing about some French phrase in an English-language publication, you
would preserve French conventions *within* the phrase but punctuate around
the phrase according to English conventions. The point about the
punctuation being typed as part of the command, however, is well taken.
I'll have to think about that some more. In some of our publications, we
would have room to devote an extra line to computerese phrases. Hm, I'll
have to think about this some more. Or s'more (yum).
--
Carol Roberts
Publications Services
Cornell University
[log in to unmask]
607 255-9454
Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 16:49:40 -0500
From: lpraderio <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: punc. w/ computer text
Hello,
If you are referring to the worldwide group of interconnected networks that
started with the ARPAnet, then it's called the Internet, but the internet (with
a small "i") refers to any collection of networks working together. There are
many network books that all cite this: "The Whole Internet" by Ed Krol, or the
"Internet Companion" by Tracy LaQuey.
The generic term telnet is not capitalized except at the beginning of a
sentence. The word has come from the "telnet" command on a UNIX system, which
is lowercase. However, if you are referring to a software program like NCSA
Telnet, then that's capitalized, but in a command, the convention is to make it
lowercase. The defacto standard for Internet e-mail addresses is leave the
punctuation out of the command. For example, in many guides, you'll see:
telnet worm.apple.com
where the author/editor will set the command on a separate line so he or she
doesn't have to include an end period (some users might think it's a dot at the
end of the address, similar to the dots in the middle of the address.
In your case: Questions can be answered by telnet at [log in to unmask] .
I would rewrite it so that the command is on a separate line, or if you have
space constraints, bold the command for the user to type and keep the space and
the end period.
Laura Praderio
Network Group/Information Systems Center
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
[log in to unmask]
I am editing a list of educational programs, some of which describe
how to gain access to databases and other electronic information
services. I have run into a couple of questions that I thought someone
out there might be able to help with.
Does anyone know how to capitalize the online services "internet" and
"telnet"? My original manuscript has them both all lowercase in one
place and Internet with initial cap later.
Also, is there a convention for punctuating around e-mail addresses,
computer commands, etc.? For example, I have a sentence that reads
something like
Questions can be answered by telnet at [log in to unmask] .
The address does not include the end-of-sentence period, so the author
of the manuscript typed a space between the address and the
end-of-sentence period. Is this standard? Is there a standard?
My audience will include students, teachers, members of the general
public, etc., so I can assume nothing about their prior knowledge.
Thanks for your help.
Michele Berkes
[log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1993 16:55:51 -0500
From: lpraderio <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re[2]: punc. w/ computer text
Hi Folks,
Seems like FTP/ftp was bound to come up in the conversation as well. Again,
ftp comes from the UNIX command: ftp, and that is also lowercase, like telnet.
I follow the same rules; if I tell someone looking for networking guides to
ftp nic.near.net
then I don't have to include any punctuation and it's lowercased. I follow the
rules of making it bold if it's in the sentence and avoiding putting the
command near the end where I have to deal with the punctuation.
I've read tons of internetworking documents and while it seems to vary a
little, the overriding method is lowercase and "blow off the punctuation" as an
earlier copyediting-L subscriber put it.
Unfortunately I haven't seen any style guide on this and the NOCs (Network
Operations Center) and NICS (Network Information Centers) seem to follow the
lowercase rule.
Laura Praderio
Information Systems Center
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 08:39:31 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: E-mail and punctuation
>No, I wouldn't argue that computerese is English. But if a statement in
>computerese is inserted into an English sentence, then the whole sentence
>should still conform to the standards of English usage, right? If you were
>writing about some French phrase in an English-language publication, you
>would preserve French conventions *within* the phrase but punctuate around
>the phrase according to English conventions. The point about the
>punctuation being typed as part of the command, however, is well taken.
>I'll have to think about that some more. In some of our publications, we
>would have room to devote an extra line to computerese phrases. Hm, I'll
>have to think about this some more. Or s'more (yum).
I follow the same practice mentioned by some others--put commands (in a
non-proportional font) on a separate line with no punctuation, even if the
command actually ends the sentence. Not confusing users seems the "higher"
goal :-)
If the command is internal, and is meant to be used "right then" in the
instructions, I simply set it in a non-proportional font (the regular body
text is in a proportional font). That serves two purposes: It sets off the
command clearly, and it reduces ambiguity about spacing between parts of
the command. In general, though, I keep use of different fonts to a
minimum.
I use lowercase for e-mail. As someone else (sorry, I don't recall the
name) said, I don't use uppercase unless there is a good reason. I don't
see any reason for E-mail. Some of my writers are using email, but I'm not
ready for that yet.
______________________________
Joan Marie Laflamme
Documentation Coordinator University of Notre Dame
Office of University Computing Notre Dame, IN 46556
G044 CCMB 219-631-8679 FAX 219-631-8201
Internet:[log in to unmask]
BITNET: Jlaflamm@Irishvma
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 08:40:15 -0500
From: [log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts)
Subject: Re: capital E-mail, etc.
>Why E-mail not e-mail? We don't say "Electronic mail" so I can't see why
>the abbreviation needs to be capitalized.
I agree. I've been using "e-mail." Also "fax" as a noun, a verb, and an
adjective (fax number). Even though it's not spelled "facs," I see it as an
abbreviation.It's certainly not an acronym, so I don't use "FAX," and I see
no reason to init. cap "fax" any more than I would "phone."
>I have noticed that the Manchester Guardian's usage for AIDS is Aids.
But there is potential for ambiguity because of the homynym. Since it is a
bona fide acronym, I would rather leave it capped.
--
Carol Roberts
Publications Services
Cornell University
[log in to unmask]
607 255-9454
Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 09:06:00 -0500
From: Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: capital E-mail, etc.
Can't remember the precise justification Editorial Eye gave for
E-mail, but that was their purist stance: they also advocated
e-mail as an alternative.
As for AIDS, here's my purist stance: I think it is important to
distinguish it as an acronym. That's what it IS. Unfortunately, I
do not have the weight of an unassailable style guide (if there
is such a thing) behind me. NASA has never become Nasa through
common use, nor NATO Nato--there are hosts of other commonly used
acronyms that have not transmutated (let's leave "laser" out of
this!).
Also, it looks very awkward as Aids, when cancer and leprosy, or
what have you, do not follow that convention. And you can't go to
aids because that looks like the verb or noun aids.
I think it's worth holding our ground on this one.
Peggy Thompson
Science Applications International Corp.
Oak Ridge, TN
[log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 09:18:00 -0500
From: Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ooops!
Carol Roberts has a good point about non-English phrases that are
inserted into English sentences being required (and justly so) to
conform to English language standards.
But I can't justify leaving sweet, hapless, novice computer users
(and they still exist!) to battle the confusion of English
punctuation in conjunction with printed computer commands.
Besides, typographically, it's much easier on the user if the
computer command is set off from the text like this
Believe me, when you live without that concluding period long
enough (most of us gave it up in bulleted lists, right?), you
will no longer miss it. And you can congratulate yourself on
giving befuddled users every assistance. (Isn't that our aim in
computer documentation?)
Peggy Thompson
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 09:37:00 -0500
From: Peggy Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: E-mail and punctuation
Okay, hardworking professionals, if this communique is too
frivolous for you, just skip over it (but remember, it IS Friday,
and I value your opinions as wordhounds).
I have to name a baby girl in about 12 short weeks. My husband
says one of the names on my list is a pronunciation hazard that
will plague the child throughout life.
How would YOU pronounce this name:
Angelyn
If you can indulge me, please send me your phone-ET-ic spelling.
Thanks very much!
Peggy Thompson
[log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 10:32:11 -0500
From: WE'LL TEACH YOU A LEARNING YOU'LL NEVER FORGET <[log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: punc. w/ computer text
In our documentation (DEC's VMS operating system), commands and
such are not case-sensitive as with UNIX for example. It's also
designed to avoid using punctuation marks in the same way are
written text as much as possible. Even so, we use very carefully
designed conventions to avoid leaving our computerese looking
like regular text.
We set off commands on a separate line. Like for example:
To send your document to a printer, enter the following command:
$ PRINT/QUEUE=MYPRINTER filename.extension
The typographic conventions we use for various parts of the VMS
command language are defined in a conventions table in the Preface
to all of our manuals. (Like someone said though, we can't *make*
people read it!) Like for example, commands are always uppercase,
complete code examples use a monospace font, a slash (as in
Ctrl/x) means hold down the Control key while pressing the other
key. Meanwhile a hyphen (as in Ctrl-x) means press firt one key,
release it, then press the other ... it's almost endless!
It's not a perfect system by any means, but since computerese
uses the same keyboard that creates the rest of the language, we
need to do something to avoid confusion. Experienced users, I
think, get pretty used to reading the conventions and recognizing
the various uses. Novices are not confused as to what's part of
the stuff tehy must type to use the machine and what's part of
the manual's text (at least if they study or refer to the
Conventions table).
I have to agree that, because it can get so complex, absolute
clarity is the most important consideration.
=Lillian
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 06:02:22 -0500
From: "Steve Koski" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: capital E-mail, etc.
Evie Mandel wrote:
> Why E-mail not e-mail? We don't say "Electronic mail" so I can't see why
> the abbreviation needs to be capitalized.
>
> In general I prefer to avoid caps unless they're required (for a
> trademark, acronym, etc.). We use "e-mail."
The best reason is that E-mail should be consistent with T- shirt.
(Webster's New World, 2nd College Edition)
> I have noticed that the Manchester Guardian's usage for AIDS is
> Aids. This is interesting, since AIDS is an acronym, not a word or
> name in itself. But then we say measles not Measles and cancer not
> Cancer, so as it enters the language as a word, it should, I
> suppose, lose those caps. What do you think? Is the Manchester
> Guardian ahead of its times?
The Manchester Guardian has never been ahead of its time. I would
chalk this one up to editorial eccentricity. That way Guardian's
local style is consist with its political orientation.
Steven D. Koski,
assistant professor
Russell J. Jandoli Department
of Journalism and Mass Communication
St. Bonaventure University,
St. Bonaventure, New York 14778
(716) 375-2520
FAX (716) 375-2389
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 10:56:00 -0500
From: "Amy Finnerty (615) 576-6800" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: E-mail and punctuation
Peggy,
Two pronunciations immediately come to mind:
ANN-jel-en (sort of like Angela)
AYN-jel-en (like Angel Lynn)
Both of these could be completely off base, but that's how it looks
to me. Many people find a way to mangle the pronunciation of even
the simplest names, so I would go with Angelyn if you like it.
When I was a kid, I used to hate having a "different" name--Amy
Zoe--but now that I am (considerably) older, I LIKE being different.
Who knows, maybe it builds character!
Amy Zoe Finnerty
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 11:30:48 -0500
From: [log in to unmask] (Carol Roberts)
Subject: Re: capital E-mail, etc.
> The best reason is that E-mail should be consistent with T- shirt.
> (Webster's New World, 2nd College Edition)
However, isn't the "T" capped because it stands for the letter T (because
the shirt is shaped like a T, just as a T square is?), whereas the "e" in
"e-mail" stands for "electronic" not the letter E.
--
Carol Roberts
Publications Services
Cornell University
[log in to unmask]
607 255-9454
Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
------------------------------
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