Yahoo launches style guide for web writing

Yahoo has just launched a style guide for online content, available in parts online, and in full, ironically to some extent, in print. I’m somewhat surprised it hasn’t been done before, given how woefully slow all the standard style guides have adapted to online writing. (The ubiquitous AP Style Guide only recently changed “Web site” to “website,” but still prefers “smart phone.”)

So, let’s take a look at Yahoo’s guide. They have a word list, where you can see when to use slashes (24/7), hyphens (50-50), or spaces (decision maker) in words, or when to combine things into one word (website, email, smartphone). It also has an Editing 101 section, which is sorely needed for the majority of web copy these days. There are resources, too, which include the heavily buzzworded “SEO optimization” concept. And what online style guide would be complete without an FAQ page?

Interested? You should be. Here is where you can buy the book from a variety of vendors. (Surprisingly, it’s actually reasonably priced – just $15 on Amazon – though perhaps because loads of it is already free online.)

Will you buy the print guide, just rely on its online portions, or rebel against it all?