June 22, 2006: Issue 144
A few notes on handling the names of Web-based businesses in text:
- Use the business name as it appears on the “About Us” or “Contact Us” page or in comparable text on the Web site. Sometimes these names include a “.com” and sometimes they don’t (MissionLiving.com, but ModernTots). Be aware that the name used in text might not match the Web site’s logo; go by the name in text.
- Cap the first letter of the business name unless a logical internal letter is capped instead (as in eBay). Although spaces are omitted in Web-based business names, cap acronyms and individual words so the name reads logically (ModernReproductions.com, FaucetDirect.com, SIMStylebook.com).
- Don’t add “www” to business names. Do, however, include “www” or “http://” in Web addresses. (FastFloors.com is the business name; www.fastfloors.com is the company’s Web address.)
- Don’t worry about giving the complete Web address unless you’re listing contact information for all businesses in the story. We don’t always list a physical address for a brick-and-mortar store, so we don’t always have to list a Web address for a Web store.
MICROSOFT WORD TIP: You can narrow the find-and-replace feature by setting conditions such as “Match case” and “Find whole words only.” Go to the Find dialog box (apple-f), then click on Replace. Now click on the arrow in the lower left corner and you’ll get a menu of parameters you can set. And please, please, never select “Replace All.”
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