The Internet? To capitalize or not capitalize? That is the question!

that seems a peculiarly German interpretation

How so?

But as soon as we establish interplanetary IP links, we're back to one. Those links are easy enough to establish with powerful lasers. And even with plain old radio, NASA never had much of a problem staying connected with their Voyager vessels.

2B or not 2B

Hi. I'm the opedder who wrote that oped in the CSM, and I am not a Christian Scientist but they publish just about anyone there. Smile. So, am curious, what's your opinion, pro or con, on lowercasing internet in newspapers and magazines and professional news websites? yes no? for blogs and emails, style is up to you, italy or Italy, sure, but in real print or online websites, there need to be standards and the current USA standard for internet is and has been for 40 years CAPS....but in the UK it has been for 20 years lowercase. Do they know something we don't know about the internet? Your POVs please....i am all ears... this will only change if and when two MEN make up their minds and they are Phil Corbett who controls the NYT copy desk and Ted Anthonty who controls the AP copy desk. Until these guys move, nothing will change. you can write to them at [email protected] and [email protected]

this will only change if and when two MEN make up their minds and they are Phil Corbett who controls the NYT copy desk and Ted Anthonty who controls the AP copy desk. Until these guys move, nothing will change. you can write to them at [email protected] and [email protected]

First, let me offer my deep honor that you would visit my humble thread. I do remember seeing you name on the byline (is that correct for an article like this). Sorry I didn't write it in my initial post. This is the first time I have ever encountered an author of an op ed before, let alone away from the comments page of the actual news source.

Do you happen to know how the latest edition of the Chicago Manual takes on this particular issue?

As for pro or con? I'm still stuck in the middle of the street. Both directions of travel sound reasonable to me.

Welcome Danny Bloom,

Tsar, I know that the CMS capitalizes Internet. Hey, I'm a professional editor and proofreader. I gotta know stuff like that.

As for my opinion, on the intellectual level, I think Internet should be capitalized. It's still a proper noun. On a personal and selfish level, I'd love to see it lowercase. Why? Because I'm sick and tired of making it cap every time I encounter it in a manuscript. The same applies to the Web. (Not an issue in this thread, but I'm bringing it up anyway.)

@tsarstepan, nice to meet you too. I am way over here in Taiwan, so i do not have the Chicago book with me and I don't know. but i suspect all USA style guides dicate for now capping Internet. I still cap it from habit, but after living overseas for 20 years and reading newswpapers NOT edited by Americans and also reading many websites from the UK, i am also used to lowercase internet and i like it better now, and I joined the bandwagon of Joseph Turow, Eric Zorn, Tony Long and others who were there long before I arrived. I am just doing PR chores now for the issue. It will happen. Just depends on when. I guess ten more years of upper and then lowercase happens. UK is way ahead of us, why they are so good at this?

Roberta, you have a very good point too.! I workw ith both US editors and UK editors here in ASia since 1991...and so now i see both sides...i still cap Internet out of habit, but i know it';s going down soon. just a matter of time...all up to two people: Ted Anthony at Ap and Phil Corbett at NYT and they both have read my oped and say they are mulling things over.....stay tuned...SOON~

And tsarstepan
re
First, let me offer my deep honor that you would visit my humble thread. I do remember seeing you name on the ''byline'' (is that correct for an article like this? -- YES! Opeds carry bylines, sure). Sorry I didn't write it in my initial post. [No problem. The issue is what is important not my name.] This is the first time I have ever encountered an author of an op ed before, let alone away from the comments page of the actual news source. IT IS MY HABIT TO REPLY TO EVERYONE ONLINE, that is why i am a writer, i want to communicate and I appreciate your interest in these issues. I googled and found you. Nice. SMILE.... and by the way, that was my first ever PUBLISHED oped in a US newspaper after trying for 40 years to get one in...thanks to the CSM for having an oped open door policy. I sent the same oped to the Wash Post and the NYTimes and the LA Times and the Boston Globe and it was rejected by all of them, without even a letter in return explaing why. Only the CSM was kind enough to write me and say we like this piece, we will publish it. BRAVO to the CSM.

Do you happen to know how the latest edition of the Chicago Manual takes on this particular issue? DO NOT KNOW BUT GUESS THEY SAY CAPS

As for pro or con? I'm still stuck in the middle of the street. Both directions of travel sound reasonable to me. ME TOO SITTIN ON DA FENCE. NICE VIEW

amusing, but not that much.

So continuing with the space theme, how do you feel about capitalizing Moon? Other planets have "moons", but we have the Moon, the one and only.

Yes; its a proper noun.





David

My usage dictionary tells me that American English actually doesn't have "the Moon". "The moon" is not capitalized. But if it were, I'd be fine with it. (EDIT: On the other hand, my American Heritage dictionary tells me that "the Moon" is "often capitalized". So this case seems to be controversial)

That said, I do notice a problem with my original reasoning. If "Internet" is a proper noun, shouldn't we be able to drop the article "the" before it? My sense is that we can't. "I meant to mail you, but I couldn't get onto Internet today." Sounds wrong without the article, doesn't it? So maybe "internet" should be a common noun.

Does the Moon have an esoteric proper name that one can use instead of the generic proper name, Moon?

In retrospect, calling our moon the Moon is like giving a pet dog the proper name, Dog. Kind of lazy and unimaginative.

About 45 years ago, I had a pussy cat whose name was Pussy Cat.





David

AT least you just didn't call it Cat.

Well, if I were going to be FORMAL, I 'd have called him Mr. Cat.





David

My cousin, Norma, had a dog named Charlie Brown.
I called him Mr. Brown.





David