Re: use of definite articles before names of standards

Sandro Hawke wrote:
> Some people in my working group seem to want to call our product "the
> RIF" instead of just "RIF".   

[snip]

> Sometimes this sneaks past my ear, but I'm still sure it's wrong.   Try:
> 
>    This use case illustrates a fundamental use of the HTML: to supply a
>    vendor-neutral representation of hypertext, so that ...

Sometimes one could say "the" HTML, like "the source," or "the" HTML in
comparison to "the" XHTML.

> Is there a simple and clear reference I can point to for this?

I think the Chicago Manual of Style Q&A [1] says use "the" but I am not sure.
Maybe Ian can find a better reference:

    Generally, if "the" is part of the name, but not absorbed by the
    abbreviation, one should use "the" as if the abbreviation were
    spelled out:
    [snip]
    In other words, "the" is necessary unless the abbreviation is used
    as an adjective or unless the abbreviation spelled out wouldn't take
    a definite article (as is the case for American Telephone and
    Telegraph, though I think the company has more or less dropped the
    antecedent to its initials).

 [1] http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/cmosfaq.Abbreviations.html

-- 
Susan Lesch           http://www.w3.org/People/Lesch/
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