It's Six Flags, AP

[MileHigh]

Actually, the numerals in headlines is relatively new. I want to say within the past 18 months. For more room on Internet headlines, is how I remember hearing the justification.

 

[SF_Express]

Actually, the numerals in headlines is relatively new. I want to say within the past 18 months. For more room on Internet headlines, is how I remember hearing the justification.

MileHigh, I'm almost positive that the U.S. to US thing is pretty new, too.

Somebody would have to explain to me the "more room" thing, because I generally have more room to write headlines -- meaning more care needs to be taken, too -- on the Internet than I ever had in print.

 

[SixToe]

Why do you change the proper name of a product or company like iPhone or adidas?

If something said Podunk & Smith, would you switch it to Podunk and Smith because of the ampersand?

I've never understood that. It's the company's name or name of the product.

 

[SF_Express]

Why do you change the proper name of a product or company like iPhone or adidas?

If something said Podunk & Smith, would you switch it to Podunk and Smith because of the ampersand?

I've never understood that. It's the company's name or name of the product.

It's an arguable point -- we've certainly had the argument, and it sounds like we'd have it with you -- but here, your naming rights don't include lowercasing what is, bottom line, a proper name -- but beyond that, no matter what your thinking on that issue, we're not going to start a sentence with a lowercase letter. That's simply written English language.

 

[SixToe]

I can see changing adidas to start a sentence because it is entirely lowercase.

eBay? iPhone? iPod? I would argue (unsuccessfully, no doubt ) to leave those because of the capital letter being second. Would it be Ebay or EBay? How about IPhone or Iphone?

"EBay shares fell 39 percent following news of" ... "Iphone stock rose sharply after consumers flocked "...

Either looks silly and both are incorrect, as far as the proper name is concerned. But the grammatical usage may be correct.

Curiously, how do newspapers or media outlets in other parts of the world handle this? In Europe or Africa would adidas be lowercase to start a sentence?

 

[SF_Express]

I can see changing adidas to start a sentence because it is entirely lowercase.

eBay? iPhone? iPod? I would argue (unsuccessfully, no doubt ) to leave those because of the capital letter being second. Would it be Ebay or EBay? How about IPhone or Iphone?

"EBay shares fell 39 percent following news of" ... "Iphone stock rose sharply after consumers flocked "...

Either looks silly and both are incorrect, as far as the proper name is concerned. But the grammatical usage may be correct.

Curiously, how do newspapers or media outlets in other parts of the world handle this? In Europe or Africa would adidas be lowercase to start a sentence?

Actually, SixToe, I didn't get into the fact that we do eBay just like that, although it rarely comes up. I didn't want to confuse the issue -- or look horribly inconsistent, take your pick.

The fact is, Adidas is a one-off style decision for us. I'll justifying it by making this blanket statement -- you have to have a cap letter SOMEWHERE in there.

Hey, works for me.

 

[SixToe]

adiDas? ;D


Somewhere, ee cummings is sad and doesn't know why.

 

[SF_Express]

adiDas? ;D


Somewhere, ee cummings is sad and doesn't know why.

If we land him, we'll give him some one-off dispensation as well.

 

[Football_Bat]

Really, who uses AP suggested heds anyway?

 

[SF_Express]

Really, who uses AP suggested heds anyway?

Well, not that many, but it's also (as noted) on a lot of automated feeds for websites, and I wish US wasn't part of that.

 

[txsportsscribe]

Somewhere, ee cummings is sad and doesn't know why.

you should really be worried that i thought the same thing

 

[ralph russo]

Re: No periods and digits in heds.

Just so you know, it is new AP style. Within last 6 months. Maybe less.
It's all about space, saving characters and getting in more info.

Carry on.

 

[fishwrapper]

Not sure I'm understanding that one. I get it. I get it's new style. But that doesn't make it correct. Compare:

6 Flags seeks Chapt. 11 bankruptcy protection
Six Flags seeks Chapt. 11 bankruptcy protection

 

[ralph russo]

Not sure I'm understanding that one. I get it. I get it's new style. But that doesn't make it correct. Compare:

6 Flags seeks Chapt. 11 bankruptcy protection
Six Flags seeks Chapt. 11 bankruptcy protection

Just checked the archive, that story had Six spelled out in hed. Though if an earlier one moved with the digit, it was probably a macro mistake. The macro we use to send to the wire will suggest changing spelled out numerals to digits when it reads the headlines, so if you're going fast and check the wrong box, it'll change Six to 6.

But style doesn't supersede a proper name, of course.
As for the periods, I think that may be more than just a space saver. Might have something to do with how certain systems read those characters when we file directly to the web (which we do for some members, I'm told). But that stuff is way above my head.




Moved on the wire with Six spelled out

 

[fishwrapper]

I'm ok with the omission of periods. That's fine. Even putting the "." for some master abbreviation of the word Chapter (which saves the count or line field one whole character) is ok. If that's your style.
But, I could never see bastardizing a proper name.
Thanks again, Ralph.

 

[Football_Bat]

Re: No periods and digits in heds.

Just so you know, it is new AP style. Within last 6 months. Maybe less.
It's all about space, saving characters and getting in more info.

Carry on.

In this day and age of terabyte servers, I'm having a hard time buying that one.

 

[fishwrapper]

He's not referencing space on the macro level.