Do you capitalize the word "internet"?

by seattleniceguy 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  seattleniceguy

  This is a total fluff thread.

  Technically, I think it is supposed to be capitalized because it represents the Internet, the worldwide network of networks, as opposed to any old connection of networks. But to me, capitalizing it seems somehow...archaic, as if we're still in awe that it even exists. At some point, doesn't its existence become so routine that we treat it as a normal noun, like "radio"?

  Do you think we will stop calling it "the internet" at some point, just like we stopped calling TV "the television"? At least in my part of America, no one really says, "I saw it on the television." It's just, "I saw it on television / TV." On the other hand, we do still hear things on "the radio."

  What about email? There are several choices available: E-mail, e-mail, email, etc. Myself, I prefer the latter, for reasons similar to my preference for internet. Using a dash makes it sound like it's some kind of novel word that hasn't become fully assimilated into our language yet. Like, "My friend just sent me an e-mail about photo-typesetting to-day."

  What do you think?

  SNG
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  stevenyc

  I think it is supposed to be capitalized because it represents the Internet

  not according to the president

  steve.
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  hillbilly

  Pretty simple........ just start it with a big "I"..................

  Whatever.

  ~Hill
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  mtbatoon

  ?t?internet or t?Internet tough one.
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  AlanF

  Well I suppose I am a bit archaic, since I most certainly am still in awe of the capabilities of the Internet. I found my wife here, I found most of my friends here, and I found an unbelievable amount of information here that helped me emotionally to bury the destructive cult I was part of.

  AlanF
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  IP_SEC

  personally I dont cap it just cuz I'm too lazy But there is only one 'the internet' (ok so there's the internet2 but...). It is the proper name for the global public IP network. So ya strictly speeking I think the school marms would say to cap it.

  IPSec
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  RunningMan

  My spellchecker insists that I capitalize it. It seems a little conceited to me.
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  Simon

  I think this here "interweb" is a fad and will get forgotten about like the Rubiks cube.
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  talesin

  Actually, I think you speak of the World Wide Web (WWW).

  Internet is a generic term that's been around for decades. Used by military (1st I think), gov't and private industry, at least since the early 80s or late 70s when computers first started networking.

  I used it back in the mid-80s for my pc business, doing title searches and such with the Feds (before the WWW was established), as well as e-mail. It was all dial-up then, bay-bee!

  Not sure if I'm right, that's just my understanding of it.

  Like AlanF says, though, isn't it just the most amazing tool, no matter how ya spell it?
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  Narkissos

  I always bite on your spelling threads...

  I tend to capitalise it, but I guess I'm influenced by French usage which treats "Internet" as a proper name (always anarthrous). Strangely enough, on the other hand, we also use "web" as a noun, with article and in lower case ("sur le web," or jokingly in French phonetic imitation, "sur le ouaibe").

  I tend to write "e-mail" (perhaps because of the possible confusion in French with "émail" = enamel). We have some official recommendations for French "translation," such as the neologisms mél or courriel (from "courrier" = "mail," and on the pattern of "logiciel" which is the working translation of "software"). But those still sound pedantic in French.