observations

[rgmears]

Abbreviations and acronyms

Don't use full stops in abbreviations – BBC, not B.B.C. However, U.S. when referring to the country (United States) is correct, while US is not. __

If it is an acronym (pronounced as a word) spell out with initial capital, eg Nasa, Nato, Unicef, unless it can be considered to have entered the language as an everyday word, such as laser and sim card. NASA, NATO, and UNICEF are not good examples for what you are describing here; they are used primarily as ALL CAPS pretty much everywhere including by the organizations themselves. __

Use contractions eg can't, you'll. Avoid using should've', could've, would've etc – these are hard to read. Also don't use should of, could of, would of which sound the same but don't mean anything __

Use the correct symbol for the multiplication sign (×), not the letter x. (× or ×) Is an asterisk * also acceptable for the multiplication sign? __

Words to Watch

website - 5,960,000,000 results website -"web site" - 5,140,000,000 results "web site" -website - 753,000,000 results Your search - "web site" -website -web -site - did not match any documents.

The word Website seems to be often capitalised as you suggest. __

a while not awhile

affect = verb effect = noun

[brianteeman]

Thanks - I am having trouble seeing what are your comments and what are the original texts. If you could edit your post with markdown syntax then I can review everything and check the sources.

Bizarrely I read this on my phone on the train and questioned my view on the acronyms and then switched to reading the news and saw that it followed exactly what I said here.

[brianteeman]

Re the acronyms - this is a great example of where global english and en-GB english differ. You correctly observed that UNICEF uses all caps on their web site. However they do not in the UK

[rgmears]

Is there a way to use coloured text in Markdown?

Canada uses mostly British English, so I'm surprised that NATO is Nato in the UK. Over here, no one would know what the latter means.

[brianteeman]

Is there a way to use coloured text in Markdown?

Don't think so - try here https://github.com/adam-p/markdown-here/wiki/Markdown-Cheatsheet

Canada uses mostly British English, so I'm surprised that NATO is Nato in the UK. Over here, no one would know what the latter means.

Thats why the guide is en-GB not en-CA ;)

[rgmears]

Here it is again

Abbreviations and acronyms

Don't use full stops in abbreviations – BBC, not B.B.C.

However, U.S. when referring to the country (United States) is correct, while US is not.

If it is an acronym (pronounced as a word) spell out with initial capital, eg Nasa, Nato, Unicef, unless it can be considered to have entered the language as an everyday word, such as laser and sim card.

NASA, NATO, and UNICEF are not good examples for what you are describing here; they are used primarily as ALL CAPS pretty much everywhere including by the organizations themselves.

Use contractions eg can't, you'll. Avoid using should've', could've, would've etc – these are hard to read.

Also don't use should of, could of, would of which sound the same but don't mean anything

Use the correct symbol for the multiplication sign (×), not the letter x. (× or ×)

Is an asterisk * also acceptable for the multiplication sign?

Words to Watch Web site

website - 5,960,000,000 results website -"web site" - 5,140,000,000 results "web site" -website - 753,000,000 results Your search - "web site" -website -web -site - did not match any documents.

The word Website seems to be often capitalised as you suggest.

My additions

a while not awhile

affect = verb effect = noun

[brianteeman]

US

The style guides of the UK Gov, Guardian newspaper, Telegraph newspaper and the BBC all state it is US without periods

NASA etc

As above

should of etc

I agree but I don't think these are likely to be used and I don't want to write a massive document that covers everything and anything

Asterisk

I would prefer not but am not that bothered

Web site

I am undecided on this one. There doesn't appear to be much of a consensus (Creating a new issue for this)

Your additions

I agree but I don't think these are likely to be used and I don't want to write a massive document that covers everything and anything. Is that OK?

[rgmears]

While it is perhaps more so in forums and discussion groups, I see people using: should of, could of, would of and effect when it should be affect or awhile when a while is correct.

That's why I put those in here. Perhaps they don't belong in this document.

[brianteeman]

Yeah I agree just not for this document