New York Times bans “Tweet”
If I was writing for the New York Times then I’d no longer be able to use the word “tweet” in my articles. As I am instead writing for Blorge, I can use it as often as I like.
Phil Corbett is the standards editor at the New York Times. He’s the man who decides what is and isn’t acceptable language to be used in the newspaper. And he’s not a fan of the word “tweet.” Or “tweets” and “tweeting” for that matter.
According to The Awl, Corbett recently sent out a memo to all NYT writers effectively banning them from using the word, stating that the word has been used in articles 18 times over the past month.
His argument against using the word “tweet” is that it hasn’t yet “achieved the status of standard English.” His choice of alternatives are: “use Twitter, post to or on Twitter, write on Twitter, a Twitter message, a Twitter update.” All of which can be replaced by “tweet,” which is much more fitting and easier to use.
Feel free to tweet this, and if you see any tweets with a link to this article about tweeting then be sure to retweet it. Tweet.
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June 15th, 2010
Glad to see the NY Times doing it’s best to halt the decline of Western Civilization.
Perhaps they’ll take on the Associated Press Style Book or Strunk and White in their next big adventure. I can’t wait for the sequel !
Seriously though, I’m an engineer who minored in English. I care about both language and technology. It’s just jargon – such heavy handed and self-serving pronouncements are quite ridiculous. Either use the jargon for what it is, or use formal English but whatever you do, please spare us from such frivolity in the future.
June 15th, 2010
Well, it is apparent that traditional print media is finding itself in a very sensitive position. New outlets like the Times seem willing to embrace only so much of today’s omnipresent new media technology. Quite frankly, I think it’s somewhat noble of the Times to take a stand against some of the more vapid jargoneeering so common in technology. But what about “re-tweet”?
http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2010/06/no-tweeting-at-the-new-york-times/
November 26th, 2010
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