Treasure for a word geek
Yahoo! offers counsel on Web writing, editing, SEO basics and more. A primary feature of the guide is the Word List, which is enlightening and extensive even in its abridged version. It still preaches periods in e.g. and no hyphens in check out when used as a verb. But it also takes seriously new meanings and styling, including Web terms that Webster’s wouldn’t recognize: alt text, CAPTCHA and mashup, and technoterms such as BlackBerry, dingbat and beta. Unfortunately, we’re using those words all the time to discuss, describe and comment on what’s happening on our screens and in our conversations.
As fast as society is changing – think the warp-speed of evolving technology – the arbiters of style need to work overtime to keep up. Thanks to their attention to how new words and meaning fit into our language, we can negotiate a jungle of jargon before it overtakes our communications.
Funny thing though: To see the entire Yahoo! Style Guide, you have to buy the book in printed form. I expected to have to buy an online subscription of “Yahoo’s guide to the Internet age.” Ironic, huh? Guess they still believe in the old-fashioned format.
Comments
So do we actually get to call them "websites" now? It's about time.
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