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Where do you stand on the capitalization of "Internet"?

Princess AlicePrincess Alice
in General
Personally, I'd say it's technically correct to capitalize it, because "internet" is a generic term that can refer to any system of interconnected computer networks, but "Internet" is the proper name given to the largest and most popular such system of interconnected networks.

But at the same time, I totally get why it's often left with the lowercase i in casual use, and I do so a lot myself.

I tend to consider it in the same category as a lot of grammar rules that are broken in all but the most formal contexts. For example, one would generally refer to "the New York Times reporter" rather than "the The New York Times reporter", even though "The" is part of the Newspaper's proper name.
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  • FossilmaidenFossilmaiden
    image Wee yea erra chs hymmnos mea.
    inTeRNet
  • CrystalCrystal
    Munch munch, chomp chomp...
    what i care for at any given moment when speaking informally
  • TatterhoodTatterhood
    Capitalizing it makes it sounds like something from a cheesy sci-fi novel, but whether that's a positive or a negative is debatable.
  • Princess AlicePrincess Alice
    You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
    It kind of is something from a cheesy sci-fi novel, if you think about it long enough...
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    intern E.T.

    Anyway, I don't normally capitalize "internet".

    When I'm referring to a network of connected computers, I say "network" or "computer network".
  • Salix BabylonikaSalix Babylonika
    https://i.imgur.com/7Iil2JW.png
    The Wired
  • Princess AlicePrincess Alice
    You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
    glennmagusharvey said:

    intern E.T.

    Anyway, I don't normally capitalize "internet".

    When I'm referring to a network of connected computers, I say "network" or "computer network".

    For one, network yes.

    The generic term "internet" applies when you have multiple computer networks connected together. It's short for "internetwork".

    Of course, this use is all but obsolete these days, since "internet" almost always refers to the Internet.
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    Can't you just use "internetwork" for that?
  • Princess AlicePrincess Alice
    You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
    Well, yeah

    Also you should know that this kind of idle curiosity led me to looking up internet and Internet in the OED (yes, they're two distinct entries)
  • KlinotaxisKlinotaxis
    kill living beings
    it's short for "internetwork", which is silly e nough sounding that i become unable to care
  • Princess AlicePrincess Alice
    You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
    You know, it was quite funny to me when Apple rebranded their mobile operating system as "iOS", because I had totally associated that with Cisco's IOS, where the I stood for "Internetwork"
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    iApple
  • TachyonTachyon
    imagei will watch the heck outta this pumpkin patch
    capital i is correct, in practice it depends whether i can be bothered

    in formal writing i would capitalize
  • SF_SorrowSF_Sorrow
    edited 2018-05-08 08:12:17

    'Internet' should be spelt with a capital I just as how 'e-mail' should be spelt with a hyphen
  • SF_SorrowSF_Sorrow
    edited 2018-05-08 08:30:27

    Central Avenue said:

    For example, one would generally refer to "the New York Times reporter" rather than "the The New York Times reporter", even though "The" is part of the Newspaper's proper name.

    convention is to have 'The Economist' (one word), but 'the New York Times' (two or more words), and 'the Economist reporter' (when used adjectivally) /TNTKT
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    I spell internet with a lowercase i and e-mail with a hyphen.
  • TachyonTachyon
    imagei will watch the heck outta this pumpkin patch
    SF_Sorrow said:

    /TNTKT


    "thou neededst to know that"?
  • vtkvtk
    embrace the confusion
    lnternet
  • eriophora ziaeriophora zia
    I have cut a caper with the dancing mad god
    The WAN interNetwork
  • AshUpquarkAshUpquark
    pretty much some white kid
    The first letter of "Internet" should always be capitalised (unless the word is being used in the generic sense).
  • KlinotaxisKlinotaxis
    kill living beings
    i learned that on an internet
  • Sredni VashtarSredni Vashtar
    “I'm surprised. Those clothes… but, aren't you…?”
    When I use it as an attributive, it’s lowercase, but “the Internet” is always capitalised.
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