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It's Just the 'internet' Now?

This morning Wired News announced that 'web', 'net', and 'internet' will no longer be capitalized in their stories. Is this the next logical step after ditching 'e-mail' in favor of 'email' , or should the global computer network still be treated with a proper name? For more discussion, see Wikipedia, The Chicago Manual, and an article profiling Joseph Turow's de-capitalization efforts.

62 of 710 comments (clear)

  1. Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    ... we should decapitalize "Google".

    1. Re:Next move... by abb3w · · Score: 4, Funny
      No, that only happens if the SEC get antsy enough about the Playboy interview during the IPO quiet period.

      --
      //Information does not want to be free; it wants to breed.
    2. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      you don't laugh much, do you?

    3. Re:Next move... by shawn(at)fsu · · Score: 2, Funny

      The internet was never a brand name .... .... .... /runs to the trademark office. ...
      was being the operative word ;)

      --
      500 dollar reward for tip(s) leading to the arrest of the person(s) who stole my sig.
    4. Re:Next move... by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 5, Funny
      The internet was never a brand name, thus, there was no need to capitalize it.

      ...hwah? Ever heard of proper nouns? Is "Thomas MacKenzie Darby" a brand name? If so, where do you most frequently buy me?

      Next, you're gonna tell us that you can verb a noun so long as it's a registered trademark.

      Which would be seriously McDonald's'ed up.

      --

      Obliteracy: Words with explosions

    5. Re:Next move... by wamatt · · Score: 3, Funny

      So who writes pron with a '0' now anymore??

    6. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      That would be if wired decided to spell it iNternet.

    7. Re:Next move... by 88NoSoup4U88 · · Score: 5, Funny
      How about decapitalizing 'God' ?

      *gets struck by lightning*

    8. Re:Next move... by Dr+Caleb · · Score: 4, Funny
      It worked for "digital". But then again, they couldn't afford the capital letter.

      --
      "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
    9. Re:Next move... by UserGoogol · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sarcasm is t3h awesome.

      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor
    10. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Is "Thomas MacKenzie Darby" a brand name? If so, where do you most frequently buy me?

      At the jerk store, but they were all out of you last time I checked.

    11. Re:Next move... by KilobyteKnight · · Score: 4, Funny

      i'm running low on thomas mackenzie darby. i couldn't find any at the dollar store. i checked everything's a dollar. radio shack was also out. wolf camera said they'd never heard of it. i may have to order some Online on the Web and have it fedexed.

      --
      When will Windows be ready for the desktop?
    12. Re:Next move... by u-235-sentinel · · Score: 1, Funny

      How about decapitalizing 'God' ?

      *gets struck by lightning*


      Now look at what you've done. You made Uncle Bill mad again. ;-)

      --
      Has Comcast disconnected your Internet account? Same here. You can read about it at http://comcastissue.blogspot.com
    13. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Well, someone's going to make the joke about buying your mother, so I might as well...

    14. Re:Next move... by Black+Perl · · Score: 4, Funny

      Next, you're gonna tell us that you can verb a noun so long as it's a registered trademark.

      Well, you just verbed the noun "verb."

      --
      bp
    15. Re:Next move... by nick_davison · · Score: 4, Funny

      Now look at what you've done. You made Uncle Bill mad again. ;-)

      That's uncle bill now.

    16. Re:Next move... by trentblase · · Score: 4, Funny

      Actually, the proper title is Friggin' Moron.

    17. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nope. Names in the bible should be capitalized, just as in any other work of fiction.

    18. Re:Next move... by optikSmoke · · Score: 3, Funny

      Ahhh, I'm glad at least one other person in this world has reasoning abilities. Slashdot needs a +50 Right, No More Replies Necessary moderation.

    19. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      "My unrealistic suggestion is to change 'God' to 'the laws of physics'."

      Don't you foist your silly beliefs on me!

    20. Re:Next move... by thgreatoz · · Score: 2, Funny

      In the words of Robin Williams:
      "One nation, under Canada, above Mexico."

      --
      When their numbers dwindled from 50 to 8, the dwarves began to suspect Hungry.
    21. Re:Next move... by Mad+Marlin · · Score: 2, Funny
      You do in German :-)

      The English Language and the German Language haven't been the same since the Eleventh Century, when a bunch of Germans from France got tired of living that close to the French, and therefore decided to go conquer England instead. They kept the French Language because it is pretty.

  2. Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    And this is News? err sorry. news

  3. in other developments by ackthpt · · Score: 1, Funny
    it's now 'slashdot' please drop the capital 'S'

    "it's all ordinary now"

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:in other developments by Smidge204 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I suppose people using "/." have been doing this all along, else it would be "?."

      =Smidge=

  4. im of the opinion that by GillBates0 · · Score: 3, Funny
    should the global computer network still be treated with a proper name?

    the intarweb should still be treated with teh proper name

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  5. The internet by nooch · · Score: 1, Funny

    What the f*ck is the internet?

    --
    Fire in the sky
    1. Re:The internet by ack154 · · Score: 4, Funny

      eh hem...

      "The internet is a communications tool used the world over where people can come together to bitch about movies and share pornography with one another."

      Great movie.

  6. hey, i started this trend by BillLeeLee · · Score: 5, Funny

    wired is stealing my thunder. i started this trend when my shift key broke. curse you wired.

    damn shift key, i can't use the exclamation point to emphasize my rage.

    --
    www.google.com
    1. Re:hey, i started this trend by telstar · · Score: 4, Funny

      psst! Look over on the other side... There's two of them!

    2. Re:hey, i started this trend by RevDobbs · · Score: 2, Funny

      Just use the "one" key111 Everyone will know what you mean, especially if you end every sentance with three of 'em111 See?1?

    3. Re:hey, i started this trend by Rellik66 · · Score: 3, Funny

      tHATS NOTHING. mY CAPSLOCK IS STUCK ON, BUT AT LEAST TYPING "iNTERNET AND wEB, ETC." WON'T LOOK FUNNY ANYMORE.

      --

      Too many zeros, not enough ones

  7. You know... by oasis3582 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Al Gore invented the "Internet" so shouldn't we ask his permission before we change any names?

    Reference: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,18655,00 .html

    1. Re:You know... by Ice_Balrog · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's no more stupid than the endless stream of "OMG Bush is DUMB LOL" jokes we get on Slashdot (and are modded +5)...

      --
      #include "sig.h"
  8. No more /.? by JohnGrahamCumming · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hopefully we can drop /. now and instead hold down the SHIFT and all surf over to ?>

    John.

    1. Re:No more /.? by nooch · · Score: 2, Funny



      That would hork any php code. Bad mojo.

      ?> indeed. Harumph.

      --
      Fire in the sky
    2. Re:No more /.? by dr_labrat · · Score: 2, Funny

      Further proof that UK keyboards are the one true keyboard. /. no shift necessary.

      --
      The secret of success is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake those, you've got it made. (Marx)
    3. Re:No more /.? by JohnGrahamCumming · · Score: 4, Funny

      ?> is pronounced "what's greater". Surely appropriate for the new name for /.

      John.

  9. not if i have my way by TedCheshireAcad · · Score: 2, Funny

    it's going to evolve again eventually, because only the coolest net users control the vernacular:

    intarweb: what we now know as the internet
    intarchat: instant messaging or IRC
    intarmail: e-mail
    intarcash: any paypal-like system

    ...the list goes on. use your imagination!

  10. Well, here it is! by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Stuff that matters", folks!

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
  11. it's no problem by sulli · · Score: 4, Funny

    lowercase makes one handed typing easier

    --

    sulli
    RTFJ.
  12. it could be worse.... by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 3, Funny

    at least the names are staying the same. there are places in the world... well ok france,..where they have renamed words in an attempt to stop encroachment of english into their language. like referring to email as 'courrier electronique'. my own lack of capitalization today is a tribute to ee cummings however.

  13. Wired is way behind by Patik · · Score: 2, Funny

    All of it (email, web, IM) has been "the intarweb" to most non-techie folks for some time.

  14. Bad capilitization, made worse. by biscuit67 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Americans have always been particularly atrocious at picking correct case. Maybe it should be iNteRnEt. I suppose, we should just make everything uppercase and be done with it. It would save 26 characters out of the ASCII set we could use for emoticons!

  15. 9 times out of ten by canwaf · · Score: 2, Funny

    nobody even bothers with capitalizaton on the net. even when starting new setences. down with capitals down with accents and down with puncutation!!!!shit11111

    *shudders*

    Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but it's about time Internet became internet.

  16. A wise move with much precedent by Chairboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Based on observed trends, it seems to be a good move. As a manager, I rely on my team to give me direction on technological improvements. Decapitalization of key words is consistent with the observed behaviors 'in the wild'. For example, I recently received the following emails that suggest Wired's decision is accurate:

    'im working on something alredy, so go stuff yourself and get back to browsing the internet'

    'Hey ass, next time you can't get to your stupid Sims board, check whether your network cable is even plugged in before telling everyone that "the internet is down"'

    'Jeesus, Ben, stop sending me that gd Bonzai Buddy trash! I don't care if it's cute, that little bastard screwed up my internet settings! I lost a weeks worth of work!'

    If my team uses that type of capitalization, then I know it's just a matter of time before it catches on.

    Regards,

    PHB

  17. Unfortunately... by nlawalker · · Score: 5, Funny

    The internet will continue to be a victim of capitalism.

  18. AP Stylebook by Cycline3 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The AP Stylebook says that Internet should be capitalized and it's still e-mail instead of email and they still make use of 3 character state codes instead of the newer 2 character postal ones. That book is the gold standard and anyone publishing should be following it.

  19. Oh my god, the internet's been kleenexed by Black+Perl · · Score: 4, Funny
    e e

    cummings

    would
    be

    proud

    --
    bp
  20. Time for a rebranding by Seth+Morabito · · Score: 2, Funny

    It looks like it's about time for me to revive my early 90's plan of rebranding the word "internet".

    I propose that, in honor of Doctor Norbert Wiener, inventer of the term 'cybernetics', and the 'cyber-' prefix in larger use, we should refer to the internet as 'Wienerspace' from now on.

    Try it!

    'I logged onto the Wienerspace last night, and looked at my favorite web sites!'

  21. Re:I'll just be happy if... by mbbac · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'll be happy when people quit talking about MAC users.

    --

    mbbac

  22. internet by 5m477m4n · · Score: 2, Funny

    Okay, so now that 'internet' is not capitalized, can we work on educating people to stop asking 'what version of the internet are you using?'

    --

    ---
    Those who can, do
    Those who can't, teach
    Those who don't know how, supervise
  23. Re:Name of place by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I see the internet as the aliens' way of communicating with me when I'm wearing my tinfoil hat, like personal ads or the timing of traffic lights. Hence I don't capitalize the internet.

  24. In related news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Apple is now required to capitalize the first letter of iPod, iMac, and iBook.

  25. Wired and their "next moves" by 0x0d0a · · Score: 5, Funny

    Actually, if you're just trying to be Wired (which means being relentlessly hip to try to avoid losing their self-assumed position as authority on Internet culture), there's a fair number of predictable "next moves":

    Internet becomes "iNet". This is to fit with Apple's product naming scheme, which is cool, and therefore something that Wired is terribly concerned about associating itself with.

    "I see" becomes "i c". Wired constantly promotes the claim that the Internet (oops, sorry -- "internet") is going to completely drive our lives and our culture, and currently most authorship is done via chat. What better way to argue their point than to let themselves be completely swayed by typos and shortcuts from chat?

    Micropayments are "hip", so Wired stops selling "subscriptions" and starts selling "micropayments in twelve chunk block minimums".

    "Internet time", or "beats" (a desperate attempt by Swatch, who has put every useful gadget and more onto a watch, to produce new required features to drive watch sales) will be adopted by Wired. I'm not sure that "beats" are hip or not, but they're certainly stupid and Internet culture-oriented, so Wired should love them. They can say "It took me @45 to write this article".

    Wired will no longer refer to themselves as a "magazine". "Magazines" are pre-Internet culture, and "'zine" is only marginally more "hip". No, tablet computers are "hip", and so Wired will sell "paper tablets".

    Speaking of "'zine", almost any word can be made more hip by chopping some prefix off and replacing the prefix with an apostrophe. We know this because a couple of sci fi authors have done this. Therefore, I won't "Download and read Wired on the Internet by 4:00 PM". Instead, I'll "'nload 'n rez wired on the internet by @3452". Where would we be without Wired for entertainment?

  26. In other news.. by dacarr · · Score: 2, Funny

    frigidaire xeroxes kleenex. kodak at eleven.

    --
    This sig no verb.
  27. Re:News? by Echnin · · Score: 2, Funny

    "IANAET"? I Am Not An Extra Terrestrial?

    --
    Lalala
  28. Re:Some cap changes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    The Internet cannot be "insecure", since it is not a sentient/organic/thinking thing.

    Yeah, sure. You try telling that to MY (i|I)nternet connection when I have to console it every time somebody calls it a fat pipe.

  29. How's that for by oO+Peeping+Tom+Oo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Capital Punishment?

  30. e.g., i.e. by chefmonkey · · Score: 2, Funny
    Ray "Bones" Barboni: Let me explain something to you. Momo is dead. Which means everything he had now belongs to Jimmy Cap, including you. Which also means, when I speak, I speak for Jimmy. E.g., from now on, you start showing me the proper fuckin' respect.

    Chili Palmer: "E.g." means "for example". What I think you want to use is "i.e.".

    Ray "Bones" Barboni: Bullshit! That's short for "ergo".

    Chili Palmer: Ask your man.

    Bodyguard: To the best of my knowledge, "e.g." means "for example".

    Ray "Bones" Barboni: E.g., i.e., fuck you! The point is this: When I say "jump", you say "OK", okay?

  31. Re:Proper Nouns and such (was Re:Next move...) by EvanED · · Score: 4, Funny

    Otherwise, (I enjoy having fresh earth between my fingers) it may not be

    Unless you're Atlas, and are actually holding Earth between your fingers.

    Um, you insensitive clod.

  32. microsoft by kaleco · · Score: 4, Funny

    They were going to decapitalise 'Microsoft', but in the end capitalism was just too much a part of their image.

    --
    Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped. Calvin Coolidge