Wired drops "I" in "Internet"

[lukpac]

It's Just the 'internet' Now

Discus.

As much as I might type "internet", it really is a proper noun, at least when referring to the global network of computers (as opposed to various private networks and/or terms like "internet protocol). Seems silly to say it shouldn't be capitalized.

[Patrick M]

I think Internet should be capitalized.

Let's ask what Lovely Bob thinks about This, Man, Woman, our Forums(tm), and our Members(tm).

[Thesia]

Being old-school, I also think Internet should be capitalized since it is a proper noun. That being said, however, I can see their argument that Internet use has evolved to the point that it's considered by the masses to be just another medium of communication. (This means we do not capitalize Radio and Television, although we do capitalize the networks that broadcast on those media.) This generalizing is the same phenomenon that reduces brand names such as Kleenex, Windex, and Xerox to common nouns (or also verbs, in the case of Xerox).

Not that long ago English was much closer to its Germanic roots and called for the capitalization of common nouns. But today capitalization of nouns is used to convey a certain importance and uniqueness (outside of the other rules for using capitals in headlines, at the beginning of a sentence or a quote, etc.). Given that reasoning, I say keep the "I".

[Patrick M]

Being old-school, I also think Internet should be capitalized since it is a proper noun. That being said, however, I can see their argument that Internet use has evolved to the point that it's considered by the masses to be just another medium of communication.

You waffle more than John Kerry.

[krabapple]

Me, I'm sick of hearing radio and TV folk dropping the *t* and pronouncing it 'innernet'. Fucking hillbillies.

[Patrick M]

One of my pet peeves is people dropping the "r" in "forward." They say foe-word.

[RDK]

Jeez, from the thread title I thought you meant that they really dropped the "I" and were gonna call it the 'nternet or something post-modern like that. You know, like *NSYNC or Fitty Cen'.