While I appreciate that someone likes my stories, I just got an odd e-mail and I'm wondering if I'm the only one. Basically, someone asked if I'd be interested in finishing Chesley's stories for him - which, of course, I wouldn't do. Anyone else got that?
If it came from Chesley or his estate, you should be flattered. If it came from anyone else, "Danger Will Robinson."
AJ
One of the more recent changes Chicago Manual of Style made was to do away with the hyphen in "email."
One of the more recent changes Chicago Manual of Style made was to do away with the hyphen in "email."
Since I was born well before e-mail was invented - and Chicago is a cesspool of criminal activity - they can fold their Manual of Style and shove it.
I grew up on Jules Verne, H. Beam Piper,Mark Twain, Robert Heinlein, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Isaac Asimov, Franklin W. Dixon, Victor Appleton, and John Norman. (My parents didn't realize that the Gor novels weren't exactly what they thought they were, because they'd grown used to my getting books with Frank Frazetta or Boris Vallejo covers.)
So I'll just call them Hyphen Nazi's and be done with it. No one is going to come along and slap my wrist for calling it e-mail. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have to go dig out my record player and put on some 78's.
:)
Don't matter none if you call it e-mail or email. To anybody under 30 them's all dead rats anyway. If it ain't textin', it ain't happenin'. None of my grandkids will submit to exchangin' emails (or e-mails, either) with me; and I flat refuse to learn thumb-twiddle to send texts. And Facebook is what us Seniors were always warned as that place we'd all go if we did evil things.
No one is going to come along and slap my wrist for calling it e-mail.
For native German, Dutch, French, Estonian, Indonesian speakers e-mail is better, 'cause Email (fr.: Émail) has already another meaning, it's their word for enamel.
HM.
For native German, Dutch, French, Estonian, Indonesian speakers e-mail is better, 'cause Email (fr.: Émail) has already another meaning, it's their word for enamel.
In Dutch it's "emaille" for enamel although officially email is also correct. For electronic mail both e-mail and email are used, sometimes even the old 'Email' or 'E-mail'. It's one of those rare words that has an official way to spell (e-mail) but in everyday usage both email and e-mail are accepted.
What I see in some languages is that both are used with "email" being a generic name and e-mail for the (technical) e-mail system.
What I see in some languages is that both are used with "email" being a generic name and e-mail for the (technical) e-mail system.
To me that's nearly acceptable, e-mail is shorter than the full "e-mail system".
I hate those idiots who use SMS – the name for the system – for a single short message.
HM.
I hate those idiots who use SMS – the name for the system – for a single short message.
Well, using SM instead of SMS could easily be misinterpreted :)
But seriously, most people using 'SMS' probably don't even know what the acronym stands for. It has been used from the start as a replacement for text message thus has become a sort of custom, a new word in itself.
although officially email is also correct
Does that mean there's some sort of language czar who determines what is and what is not official?
Does that mean there's some sort of language czar who determines what is and what is not official?
For the Dutch language we have what is called "Het groene boekje" (The little green book). It's the official word list for the Dutch language as taught in school. I checked it and I was mistaking in stating that "email" was also correct. The official way in Dutch is "e-mail" (email is correct but as in enamel).
ETA: added link
One of the more recent changes Chicago Manual of Style made was to do away with the hyphen in "email."
Is that a general principle for the 'e' prefix or specific to e-mail? Their approach ought to be consistent for similar words like e-commerce and e-banking.
AJ
Their approach ought to be consistent for similar words like e-commerce and e-banking.
Because the English language is so consistent?
Because the English language is so consistent?
Of course it's not consistent..! If it was everyone would be fluent and we couldn't make fun of their mistakes...
Oh, and to be accurate, CMOS has no influence on English, it only affects the A-merican language.
:)
Because they're producing a style guide and, as SB said, of which the whole purpose is to introduce consistency - which CMOS hasn't!
AJ
Here's an article that addresses all of the issues raised above: https://cmosshoptalk.com/2017/10/11/from-e-mail-to-email-is-the-sky-falling/
One of the most tweeted updates to The Chicago Manual of Style in the recently released 17th edition was its change in the recommended spelling of email: no more hyphen. On the whole, the reaction of users was favorable—even celebratory—maybe because so many of us had already stopped typing that extra character.
The change does not sit well with everyone, however. In emails and via social media some have asked, If it's email, is it also ebook, ecommerce, ereader? And if not, won't there be inconsistency?
First, over the last few years the editors at Chicago have watched influential dictionaries and style guides move to email, including Merriam-Webster, American Heritage, The Oxford English Dictionary, The Associated Press Stylebook, the New York Times, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and probably others we haven't caught up with yet. At some point, it no longer makes sense to look askance at prevailing usage. Someday authoritative sources like those may move to ebook, ecommerce, and ereader, and the Manual will probably follow suit, but for now, those terms seem solid as they are.
Second, dropping a hyphen from email needn't compel a writer to remove the hyphen from every other word with the e combining form. Readers are comfortable with many apparent hyphenation inconsistencies. Few are bothered when they see everlasting but ever-ready, or halfway but half-asleep and half sister.
Another popular objection to the hyphenless spelling is that it could be confused with the obsolete word email deriving from the French word meaning "enamel." But that's just silly.
First, over the last few years the editors at Chicago have watched influential dictionaries and style guides move to email
Ok, now it makes sense.
CMOS strive to set an example by following behind those with real influence.
My 1999-vintage dead-tree Oxford Dictionary lists email but not the alternative. On the other hand, when it's the answer in a crossword puzzle, the length is depicted by two numbers to denote a separation between the 'e' and 'mail'. If crosswords adopt the CMOS standard, that will change to a single (5).
If they're not bothering with a standard for the other candidates, why is CMOS bothering to impose a standard on 'email'? It's enough to make you reach for your e-cigarettes (or is that ecigarettes!)
AJ
If they're not bothering with a standard for the other candidates, why is CMOS bothering to impose a standard on 'email'?
I don't know their criteria. But what's important is to be consistent. So whatever flavor you choose, do it that way all the time.
I write "ebook" but "e-reader." And it's been years since I used the word, but I believe I write "ecommerce."
btw, the only spelling error in the above post my browser (Safari) indicated was "ecommerce." It liked "ebook."
For the hell of it, I changed "e-reader" to "ereader" and my browser flagged it as an error. But I write "re-read" and not "reread". The latter hurts my eyes. My browser accepts both.
The fact that Apple, Microsoft, and Google use "email" should settle the argument.
