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AP Style help please, quick

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Rosie, Jun 4, 2008.

  1. Rosie

    Rosie Active Member

    I'm at home finishing a story for today's paper. Does anyone know the correct AP style for ebay?

    Ebay

    eBay

    ebay

    Thank you.
     
    Rosie, Jun 4, 2008
    #1
  2. Sxysprtswrtr

    Sxysprtswrtr Active Member

    My paper's style: eBay
     
    Sxysprtswrtr, Jun 4, 2008
    #2
  3. Rosie

    Rosie Active Member

    Keep in mind I've been working on this story since 4:30 a.m. (since some dum-dum fell asleep on her laptop keyboard while working on it last night, not giving out any names). I know the site's name is 'eBay' but it seems like I've seen it 'Ebay' elsewhere.

    And no matter how I typed it, nothing looked right.

    I'll use 'eBay' and I thank you all so much for your help.
     
    Rosie, Jun 4, 2008
    #3
  4. trifectarich

    trifectarich Well-Known Member

    Just be careful if you're thinking of using it to start a sentence, something I would avoid if at all possible. It's going to look like an obvious error.
     
    trifectarich, Jun 4, 2008
    #4
  5. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    Yeah, like beginning a sentence with a year, that's something you should always try to avoid ...
     
    Steak Snabler, Jun 4, 2008
    #5
  6. ScribePharisee

    ScribePharisee New Member

    I was thinking the same thing with adidas, or arena football 2.
     
    ScribePharisee, Jun 4, 2008
    #6
  7. ondeadline

    ondeadline Well-Known Member

    It's eBay, but Adidas.

    All proper nouns are capitalized.

    I'm not sure why AP makes an exception with eBay, but it possibly has something to do with the style for e-mail. But that doesn't make sense either because e-mail isn't a proper noun.
     
    ondeadline, Jun 4, 2008
    #7
  8. Bump_Wills

    Bump_Wills Member

    It has to do with a capital letter being in the general vicinity of the start of the word. These strange constructions are being foisted upon us much more quickly than standard usage -- whatever that actually is -- can adjust. The compromise is in allowing eBay but not adidas, iPod but not macy's. And so on.

    As noted earlier, at the beginning of a sentence, it's "EBay" -- and that's a decent reason for the grammatical avoidance others have suggested.
     
    Bump_Wills, Jun 4, 2008
    #8
  9. Rosie

    Rosie Active Member

    For the record, "eBay" was not used to begin a sentence.

    I've always wondered why 'e-mail' hasn't yet been contracted to 'email.'
     
    Rosie, Jun 4, 2008
    #9
  10. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Was just asked a few days ago on the AP online site:

    Q: We continue to get push back on the use of a hyphen in e-mail. The rationale: Google and Yahoo use email when describing their mail services. Has AP considered changes in style for e-mail, Internet and Web site?

    A: We're holding the line on those spellings. E-mail is the first choice of Webster's and preferred by many newspapers. E-mail is consistent with other hyphenated, electronic age terms such as e-book, e-commerce, e-shopping and e-business.
     
    MileHigh, Jun 4, 2008
    #10
  11. Write-brained

    Write-brained Guest

    So you're the m'fer who outbid me.
     
    Write-brained, Jun 4, 2008
    #11
  12. trifectarich

    trifectarich Well-Known Member

    I understand the need to sometimes not follow the style that the company uses. Being in the sports business, I think the only people who use all caps in PGA TOUR are those in the organization itself. But to me, if you're going to cap all proper nouns, then you throw eBay into the mix as well.
     
    trifectarich, Jun 5, 2008
    #12
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