on a side note, i wonder when somebody will get the hair to standardize style and do a stylebook specifically for the web? Like MLA, AP, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.
— Kirsten, in a comment on this site
Your wish is granted!
Well…er…sorta. I don’t think this is quite what you were aiming at. Pretty accurate, though!
No matter what Flash-blinded web monkeys would have us believe, the Internet is a text-based medium: especially its major discussion forums (IRC and Usenet) where people from all over the world can interact and share information. A popular misconception about text messages on the Internet is that, to be an effective communicator and earn the respect and admiration of your peers, you must be able to write lucid prose; that your messages, articles, posts and pages must be easy to understand and pleasant to read.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Popular sites filled with cutting-edge Internet cognoscenti (such as Slashdot and ShackNews) give the lie to this harmful and destructive myth: they are brimming with horrific grammar, atrocious spelling, gratuitous abbreviation and childish, arrogant attitude. To be “in” on the net, you must write like a wanker.
As far as when someone will write a real style guide, I’m not sure, though it wouldn’t really surprise me if there were one already out there and I just haven’t stumbled across it yet. Pointers, anyone?