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Subject:Re: login to, log into, log in to From:Kelley Sheppard <ksheppar -at- MAILBOX1 -dot- TCFBANK -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 19 Jul 1999 17:59:35 -0500
The American Heritage College Dictionary (3rd Ed.), under the entry "log," lists
the following as Computer Science phrasal verbs: "log in (or on)" and "log out
(or off)." So apparently all these forms are used throughout the industry,
depending on the institution or the user. At my institution, we see all of
these forms in use. The Technical Writing department has yet to decide on one
standard term, but I think most of us technical writers use "log on."
One could argue that since we say "online" (not "inline") to describe one
computer being connected to another, we should therefore say "log on."
At our institution, we have always used the term "sign on" when referring to our
most frequently used mainframe access codes. I don't know if "sign on" is our
own peculiar legacy from early mainframe days or not. We most often use the
term "log on" or "log in" for LAN access codes.
As for both the terms "sign on" and "log on," we distinguish between the verb
form and the noun or adjective form by writing the verb as two words and the
noun or adjective as a compound:
"Log on to the LAN, then sign on to the mainframe."
"Did your sign-on work?"
"Change your sign-on password every 30 days."
With most compound words, we are following the trend to use solid forms, e.g.,
online rather than on-line. However, for the sake of clarity, we have decided
to write the noun form of "sign-on" with a hyphen. We feel it can be one of
those words that readers who are unfamiliar with it can stumble over the first
time (SIGnon rather than SIGNon).
Donald Le Vie wrote:
> I agree with Art...
>
> Donn Le Vie
> Integrated Concepts
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Campbell, Art [SMTP:artc -at- NORTHCHURCH -dot- NET]
> > Sent: Friday, July 16, 1999 3:51 PM
> > To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> > Subject: Re: login to, log into, log in to
> >
> > Standard terminology is a carry-down from UNIX and mainframe custom; the
> > commands you execute in order to gain access are "logon" and "logoff." So
> > I
> > think executing the
> > command is to "log on" or "log off."
> >
> > Art
> >
> > Art Campbell
> > Technical Publications
> > Northchurch Communications
> > Five Corporate Drive
> > Andover, MA 01810
> > 978 691-6344
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mary Choy [mailto:mchoy -at- SIRIUS -dot- COM]
> > Sent: Friday, July 16, 1999 4:48 PM
> > To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> > Subject: login to, log into, log in to
> >
> >
> > what's the correct way to say "log into a server"?
> >
> > log in to?
> >
> > log into?
> >
> > login to?
> >
> >
> > From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
> > =
> >
> >
> > From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
> > =
> >
>
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000==
