RE: [date corrected] review revised format on working group home pages

Re ampersand usage:

1. From The Associated Press Stylebook (2002): Use the ampersand when it is
part of a company's formal name: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Newport News
Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. The ampersand should not otherwise be used in
place of "and."

2. For a more flexible approach, see:
http://www.betterwritingskills.com/tip-w002.html, which in part reads:

The ampersand (&) is an often over-used abbreviation for the word "and." Its
use should be limited to a few situations. 

Use an ampersand: 
- in certain company names; e.g. Smith & Jones Consulting;
- if space is very limited; e.g. in a table with a lot of text;
- when artistic considerations dictate; e.g. a logo; and
- in some academic references; e.g. (Grant & Smith, 1998).
 
Do not use an ampersand in general writing simply to abbreviate the word
and. For example, we write: "We need to reorder toner cartridges and paper,"
not: "We need to reorder toner cartridges & paper."
________________________________________

The usage suggested below (acceptable abbreviation for the word "and" in WAI
site navigation) may fit under the limited space reasoning, but I think it
should be a last resort (and not for less formal tone). Ideally we should
find a better solution.

Blossom



-----Original Message-----
From: Shawn Lawton Henry [mailto:shawn@w3.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:27 PM
To: michaeka@wellsfargo.com; public-wai-eo-site@w3.org
Subject: RE: [date corrected] review revised format on working group
home pages

> It would also avoid the grammatically incorrect use of the ampersand.

Blossom,

Could you explain?

It is my understanding that the ampersand (&) would be an acceptable
abbreviation for the word "and" in WAI site navigation, which needs to
be short, simple, and not formal.

~ Shawn

Received on Wednesday, 14 April 2004 13:27:25 UTC