Re: Proper noun use

[Bev Parks <bparks -at- HUACHUCA-EMH1 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL>]

My opinion is that if you are using the product name by itself,
it does not need the article. For example, I used to work with a
software product called "PC Max-E-Mail." If I just used the
product name, I'd say

   PC Max-E-Mail can do some amazing stuff.

But if I identified the type of product (i.e., software) along with
the product name, I'd use the article:

   The PC Max-E-Mail software can do some amazing stuff.

Thinking about it, I can't come up with a single product
name, when used by itself without a "descriptor" such as
"software package" or "cup cakes," that would require an article
to precede it. (Granted, I've only been thinking about this for
five minutes.)

=*= Beverly Parks =*= bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil =*=
 =*= "These opinions are mine, not my employer's." =*=
  =*=                     =*=                     =*=

Sonja Draeger <sonja -at- HPATO -dot- AUS -dot- HP -dot- COM> asked--

> It looks like most reference books don't cover this question, so we're turning
  to the list for help.

> The situation where we work is that a new product is being released, for which
  we are writing online and paper documentation. Our problem relates to the way
  we should refer to the product when we use its full name (the proper noun).
 The
  name is three words long. For example, do we say

> "X Y Z can do some amazing stuff."
  "The X Y Z can do some amazing stuff."

> It really gets down to if there should be a *the* before a proper noun. At
 first
  it may seem a simple question, but trying it with lots of proper nouns we are
 no
  longer sure what to write.