ALAS! AP Style changes “Web site” to “website”
Last week the Associate Press finally changed “Web site” to “website” in their AP Stylebook. The official change to the style will happen when the 2010 edition is published in May.
Someone outside the PR/journalism world might think removing a space and an uppercase isn’t that big a deal. But oh they are so wrong, the AP Stylebook is bible-like to public relations and journalists alike.
How the “Web site” to “website” change will affect my life:
1) When I see someone type “website” in e-mails, on Twitter, on Facebook etc., I won’t internally cringe anymore because it will be AP-OK.
2) Because I am trained to think in AP Style all the time… Typing on my Blackberry, responding to work and personal emails will be a little faster/easier.
3) The style guide is finally fully accepting that this World Wide Web is more than a place where some people go. It’s a common noun that can be typed in lowercase!
4) I got to happily and satisfyingly cross out and write the newly correct version of how to type “website” in my physical 2009 copy of the stylebook. And good for the Associate Press, due to all the changes they’ve made, us PR/Journalists might actually have to buy updated versions more than once every ten years. More of a profit I guess.
5) This is a bridge to a new media writing style. At the AP conference, discussion centered around changing how to write months (April vs. Apr.), and changing “e-mail” to “email”. This major change will be the beginning of I think many changes to institutional styles.
