Joho the Blog
An Entry from the Archives

I'd like to see it remain capitalized when referring to the collection of networks as a whole, since I see it as a proper noun. The reason is that the lowercase "internet" can refer to any collection of networks. I can set up an internet here at home by placing a router between two separate network segments, for example. The distinction between the two still seems useful to me.

Maybe that's just my history as a tech writer on network hardware and software biting me, though....

I'm with Ralph on this one.

An "internet" is any collection of disparate networks. The "Internet" is the name of the global TCP/IP-based network that we send email over, surf the web over, etc.

There's a vigorous discussion of the relative merits of "internet" vs. "Internet" in the comments section of this post over at Mike Whybark's place: http://mike.whybark.com/archives/000524.html

I'm with Mike and Ralph. Internet is actually a shortened internework connection between one or more networks and I denotes *the* Internet, that big cloud in the sky.

I could, at least in theory go along with our Internet, but not today. *My* Internet would eliminate spam. Denial of service would be an act of war. Stupidity would have consequences. The Internet we have today isn't mine, but it's the best one I have access to. For now. ;-)

If the horse isn't dead yet, I'll add my $0.02...

A little-i internet is any network that utilizes the Internet Protocol (IP), whether with UDP, TCP, or any other protocol layered on top.

The big-i Internet is the global network of internets.

Isn't your desire for a more cuddly name the reason we started talking about "the web"?

Ciao

First, y'all are reserving a use of the term that no one except the very technical (a) cares about or (b) will understand when you write about "an internet." I think you've already lost the battle for the word. The official surrender is being held next Sunday at the San Jose Ramada.

Second, "our Internet" isn't the same as "my Internet."

Third, yes, I do want a more cuddly name for the Internet (well put), but I want it to include stuff that the Web technically doesn't include, like email, IM, etc.

Fourth, I don't think the horse is quite dead, although it's more like a very small pony.

There is no prospect of surrender. These people who claim "the internet" as a reference to the giant cloud in the sky have been condemned by Allah. They are committing suicide on the gates of Cisco. We will encourage them to commit more suicides quickly. We have retaken "the internet". I will show you. I will take you to the router in one hour. We have the support of The Oxford English Iraqi Dictionary. The forces of linguistic apostasy, those mercenaries and louts, are full of farts. We have slaughtered them and will continue to slaughter them.

It's not *our* internet yet, because 1)AT&T and Worldcom (newspeak=MCI)own the backbone and 2) the US government could shut it down tomorrow if they wanted. We can help to change this by supporting a wireless modem to modem backbone similar to decentralized file sharing systems. We can only claim the internet as ours (the global community's) when the US government--and the giant corporations whose interests the government protects--can't claim it as theirs.

As to little or big i: did the Greeks capitalize the forum? Small letters are stylistically preferable. Most other western languages cap all or most nouns, though.

Speaking as someone who has made a similar claim for ourpla.net, i think "our Internet" (or "our internet") is a fine name; i'll try it out when talking with people and see what happens.

So what if the U.S. govt could shut down the backbone? The, ahem, our Internet would continue on all the lesser connectivity. Everyone's attention would take a sharp left from streaming full-screen video, back to text -- wikis' delight :)