[Chapter-delegates] [Isoc-ph-members] The Future Internet

[Louis Houle]

You're both right.

It's also a matter of languages. For instance, in French, some purists 
insist on having a capital «I» everywhere, even though you're working on 
an intranet-extranet-internet project. In my mind, a capital «I» should 
be used in context. Why is it a proper name ? Because of a copyright ? 
The Internet Society is the name of an institution; it sure deserves 
capital letters. In some other cases also. But everywhere on the 
«I»nternet, people talk about the «i»nternet. Better get used to it: the 
more we go, the more the proper name will be written with a small 
letter, no matter how many xerox we send to the ITU to protest, or 
kleenex we  weep in, no band-aid exist to cure that integration into 
commun languages across the world. Better have a coke in the 
«frigidaire»  ;-)

Louis Houle

Fred Baker a écrit :
> Since "Internet" is a proper name, I capitalize it.
>
> On May 19, 2009, at 7:55 PM, Charity Gamboa wrote:
>
>> Wyn: /P.S.  trivium: the ITU insists on spelling "internet" with a 
>> small "i",
>> as if to indicate that it's just one of its (assumed) functions like
>> "post", "telegraph" and "telephone".  Which is why i always make it a
>> point to spell Internet with a capital "I". :)/
>>
>> I have to admit ignorance in this case with regards to the use of the 
>> big "I" and small "i" in the word "I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T."  Although I am 
>> aware that it is the IETF who is directly responsible for Internet 
>> standards, should the IETF insist more on this than ITU?
>>
>> If I confuse spelling the Internet with a small "i" and a big "I," 
>> does it make a whole lot of difference of my understanding of the 
>> INTERNET? I have seen and read in the past how some people write the 
>> word with either a small "I" or a big "I."  I thought it was just 
>> some typo.  If people confuse themselves in the use of  the big and 
>> small "I," maybe it's the same way people use "Xerox" to pertain to a 
>> photocopying ("Let's xerox the notes."); or "Kleenex" to pertain to 
>> "tissue;" or "Coke" to a cola or "band-aid" pertaining to bandage. 
>> Perhaps we may be also "genericizing" the words "Internet" and 
>> "internet."
>>
>>