RE: Capitalization question - Microsoft Manual of Style

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Rob Hudson wrote:
 
> Regarding Atlantic Ocean: Atlantic Ocean is a specific ocean, 
> the same (it seems) as the Minimize button is a specific 
> button. "Atlantic" and "Minimize" each modify nouns.
> 
> If we presume that Atlantic is a proper noun, then why isn't 
> "Minimize" in this usage?

I think you're mixing up nouns and names. Many things have multi-word
names -- "Adobe Systems," for instance. Arguably, "Adobe" is an
adjective modifying the noun "Systems." But both words are part of the
name. 

"Minimize" is the name of the button, according to Microsoft. And it's
their button, so they get to decide. "Atlantic Ocean" is the name of the
ocean. Some international board of bureaucrats decided that one -- don't
ask me why they get to. 

As I said before, the fact that you're referring to something specific
has nothing to do with it, or you'd have to capitalize nouns preceded by
"the."
 
> Sorry to add more fuel to the fire.

Or should that be "the Fire"? Don't apologize -- if we keep this
discussion going another day or so, it could morph into a pretty funny
Friday thread. ;-) 

Richard


------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------




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