CMoS Online
Posted by enkerli on July 7, 2006
Been reading the monthly Q&A items of the Chicago Manual of Style. They’re an entertaining read for anyone interested in language, style, and/or prescriptive grammar.
As it turns out, they are finally announcing the online version of the Manual, which will be available on a subscription basis, including some library subscriptions. It’s quite likely to be a good move financially and practically.
For instance, they might be able to update the online manual quickly, as some of the trickier issues related to online and computer-based publishing are settled. A one-year subscription of 25$ sounds relatively inexpensive even though it’s close to half the price of the paper version. Though the Manual is well-indexed, a searchable version online would make it much easier for quick queries. And the online version would be easily available from anywhere instead of taking valuable space on bookshelves and in moving boxes (this one is a personal issue). It’s quite likely that most English-speaking university libraries in North America will be subscribers, if the fees are reasonable.
The CMoS editors could also work on other services, such as grammar checking tools, “Google Answer”-like paid advice, style competitions, kid-friendly columns, etc.
The Word « Disparate said
[...] Posted by enkerli on September 15, 2006 Speaking of language change and digital life, Radio Open Source is preparing a show about "Language Evolution in the Digital Age." Unfortunately, they seem to focus on lexicography and use an awkward notion of "evolution," but it’s quite representative of the language ideology of North American English-speakers. [...]