We don't really call the Internet the World Wide Web anymore, but we do still write a lot of web-related words. For example, website, webcam, webcast, and webmaster all are one word. If you are including a website's address (URL) in a story, use the entire address. For example, https://www.profkrg.com. But Web is capitalized when referring to … [Read more...]
Nerd Notes: Please Submit Your RSVP
It's one of my favorite times of year. It's time for warm drinks and festivities with friends. It's time for holiday parties! Chances are you'll be attending them, hosting them and probably even writing about them. If you're a good guest, you'll RSVP so your host knows you're planning to attend and can plan accordingly. RSVP is the … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Writing about Media
Media are supposed to report the news, not be the news. But every once in a while you find yourself writing about them anyway. When you do, a question is likely to arise about whether media is singular or plural. In other words, for example, do you write "media is" or "media are" when you're writing about media? The answer is pretty simple, … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Do You Lay or Lie?
I have begun questioning my usage of lay and lie, asking myself each time I use them if I'm using the correct one. Of course we know that lie is telling a mistruth, but what about when we're talking about something being horizontal? I've looked the usages up so many times that I thought I should share them with you. I mean, chances are I'm … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Writing about Ladies
You can prove someone is a woman, but you cannot prove she's a lady. I clearly remember my college journalism professor teaching us this little writing mantra. What constitutes a lady is dependent upon who you ask, making it an arbitrary and editorial word. What makes someone a woman is much more concrete. Therefore, when writing about women, be … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Writing about Reading
I'm pretty sure Apple ruined me. After the iPod, iPhone and iPad, I think everything techie needs a small letter before a capital. I've been writing eBook and eReader since I can remember ever referencing the technology. So, for all of that time, I've written them incorrectly. I was giving them Apple-like branding or something. The correct … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Writing Decades
Whether you're writing about when someone was born, when they died or how they remember a certain era, you're likely to find yourself wondering how to write about decades. According to the Associated Press Stylebook: Use numerals when writing about decades. For example, I miss the 1990s. Use apostrophes only where numbers are missing. For … [Read more...]