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Comments
I think sometimes people forget that "internet" is a generic term as well. As, in, any system of interconnected computer networks could be called "an internet." For that reason, it makes sense to me that if you're referring to the one specific, massive internet that we're call connected to, it would be treated as a proper noun.
I realize this is overly pedantic, though, as nobody really uses the term "internet" for anything other than the Internet anymore, so the capitalization or lack thereof doesn't really bother me either way.
One thing that does bug me is when people use "internet" to refer to internet access. "Don't you have internet at your house?" "Nah, my internet went out after the big storm."
Okay, I know for a fact I do this one.
I always do that. Never seen anyone bugged by it before actually.
Come to think of it, I'm not sure how else people would say it. Everyone I know uses it that way.
What those guys said.
But then one could say that "mantle" is a generic term for a covering or cloak, and "the mantle" is the magma-filled sphere beneath the Earth's crust. Yet "mantle", when referring to that part of the interior of the Earth, is not capitalized.
That's an entirely different matter for several reasons, not the least of which being that that particular use of "mantle" is not exclusive to the planet Earth, nor even to planets in general.
>2012
>Not using Intertubez or Interbuttz
interbutz: n. the internal thoughts of the main character of Final Fantasy V.
But only during the years of 1999 and 2002.
@JHM: Okay then, there are many other planets with atmospheres besides Earth, yet when we say "the atmosphere" we don't capitalize it even though it's obviously Earth's atmosphere in particular we're talking about.
We don't? That's news to me.
So "atmosphere" is not a specific name for Earth's atmosphere, but when we say "the atmosphere" we mean Earth's atmosphere, but we don't capitalize it.
But "internet" is not a specific name for the World Wide Web, but when we say "the internet" we mean the World Wide Web, and...we should capitalize it?
But Internet is the specific name for that particular computer network. I mean, if you link a few computers together, you don't call that an internet, you call it a network.
The term "internet" can generically mean a network of networks. It's rarely used in that context anymore for obvious reasons.
Related topic: do you capitalize proper verbs?
For example, would you accuse a state legislature of gerrymandering or Gerrymandering the state's districts?
Gerrymandering, as "Gerrymander" is proper.
Definitely gerrymandering: I wouldn't capitalize it unless I was talking about THE Gerrymander done by former (VERY former) New York Governor Eldrich Gerry which sort of looked like a salamander.
What about the verb?
Are you saying that legislators today can gerrymander territory, but no one can ever Gerrymander territory again unless Elbridge Gerry comes back to life
as Eldritch Gerryand redistricts territory for partisan political purposes?I'm disappointed that Eldritch isn't Governor Gerry's real name.
@Glenn: Not even then. The Gerrymander is only that particular district in New York. Even Eldritch Elbridge Gerry can't Gerrymander territory ever again.