website v. Web site

[Kyung]

Did you know that Merriam Webster has website as two words, initial capped as it's main entry?

I frankly was kind of shocked by this. I think common usage is website, one word no cap. I think that's generic, everyday use.

Have you been using website like Merriam Webster?

Also, I write Internet with the capital I.
web pages as two words.

What do you do?

[LeAnne Law]

I do the same as you.

[Brenda Rogers]

Just this year, I changed from Web site to website. I felt so . . . FREE! :D

I had always used M-W as my default dictionary -- still do, really -- but it is very conservative and extremely slow to come around to new ideas. It had girl friend for years longer than other dictionaries and much longer than common usage went to one word. Same with rest room. It still has it. If you look at Onelook, it's the one holdout.

As Richard on CRF said, M-W has whiskers. I think we look anitquated and out of step adhering to M-W when its choices aren't the "generic, everyday use." I don't want my clients looking at something they see every day in society and then think that I don't know what I'm doing because I insist on an archaic form.

[Jennie Ann]

I do Internet with capital "I," and "website" for me is one word.

However, I make "Web page" as initial capped "W" for "Web" and lower case "p" for "page"

I used to make "work force" as two words, but seeing it as one word so often in print, I now make it one word, "workforce."

I will always do "health care" as two words, unless it is in the title of an organization, like National Healthcare of Ohio or something like that.

[April McMillan, CRR, RPR, CSR]

This year I changed my dict entry to one word, lower-cased since it's so commonly seen in print that way. It took me a while to get around to it, but I, like Brenda, didn't want to look "behind the times." I still cap Internet and write "web pages."

With Jennie's mention of health care, though, I changed that this year, too. The sentence structure will dictate one word or two, but I report a lot of med mal and in print I am seeing it more as one word, especially with "healthcare professional." I hear it so much my new brief for HCP is HAEURP, HAEURPS. Health care is HA*IR.

[Brenda Rogers]

April, I use -K for my "care" in phrases/words. I add another letter for extra words. I'm still doing health care in two words. Healthcare just looks odd to me.

H-K - health care
H-KD - health care provider
H-KZ - health care professional

PR-K - primary care
PR-KD - primary care doctor
PR-KZ - primary care provider
PR-KS - primary care physician
(I know the "provider" isn't exactly consistent, but it works for me. I made them up as I went along.)

Same with day care (D-K) and child care (KH-K), adding an ending for "provider."

Daycare/day care is another! M-W has two words, but American Heritage shows one. I think I'm changing that to one word. AH is still going with two for health care.

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

I agree completely with Brenda and April on "website." I also agree that M-W is stodgy, whereas American Heritage is more contemporary. A-H is my dix of choice, and does list website as preferred; also webpage, btw. I keep having scopists change those on me. ;-) I think it's only a matter of time before Internet becomes uncapped, but as of the fourth edition A-H still has it as capped only.

BTW, A-H lists healthcare as a second choice. That's another one that's only a matter of time before becoming preferred, IMO. :-)

[Brenda Rogers]

I've been a reluctant convert to AH. I guess I'm a traditionalist at heart, as much as I like to think I'm more cutting edge. ;) But I really don't like to have words and terms so out of step with society, so when I find something in M-W, I check to see how many other dix are using it. All too often, not many!

I'm changing my preferred dictionary from M-W (after 25 yrs) to American Heritage with a very heavy heart. *sigh*

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

Aw! :-) I agree with not liking to be out of step and appearing old-fashioned...especially in our line of work when so many people think our *jobs* are old-fashioned!

I'm talking about people like my dear governor, or witnesses now and then who say, "Are you still using those little old machines? You'd think they'd have updated by now." Thanks, pal! I always launch into my spiel, "Oh, actually, we're quite advanced these days," you know, "realtime display," yada, yada, "thin little machines we can hold on our laps," blah, blah. Yeah, I probably tell them a little more than they wanted to know, lol.

[Brenda Rogers]

You know, Lisa, that is an excellent point about appearing old-fashioned when our jobs are considered so! I never looked at it that way.

I agree with you completely that Internet will evolve to internet. Frankly, it can't be too soon for me! I struggled in deciding to use website . . . but really! Who uses Web site other than reporters, scopists, and other sticks-in-the-mud? ;)

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

LOL!! ;)

[April McMillan, CRR, RPR, CSR]

Brenda, I love your briefs. I have briefs for those phrases that were made on the fly, but I'm going to check my dict. and see if they are as easy as yours; if not, your briefs will be a snap :D
And I use "daycare."

[Clay Frazier]

I don't understand why it was "Web site" in the first place. It looks so odd.
Can somebody fill me in?