As a brief (and rather sad) coda...
Using Lexis-Nexis to track changes in usage over time through newspapers, journals and newswires, the results were (by number of articles found):
website web site
2000 198,839 302,916
1999 112,109 228,349
1998 54,404 140,416
1997 22,557 76,977
1996 6,861 39,560
1995 1,057 9,220
1994 143 338
1993 119 64
1992 0 25
1991 0 0
So, my conclusions are that both forms came into use at more or less the same time with more or less the same frequency, "web site" became the preferred form and is still the most popular, but over the last five years "website" has made a remarkable comeback and looks like it may well become the more popular in the next year or so.
No real scientific basis at all to this of course. Just a bit of fun.
Luke
-----Original Message-----
From: MIME :[log in to unmask] Sent: 27 February 2001 15:12
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Web site or website?
Last year Information World Review changed to 'web site' so that we could be
consistent in our use of 'web master', 'web page' and 'web link', 'web-enabled'
and so on. At the same time, we decided to drop the hyphen in email and the
capital letter in Web and Internet.
This is the type of discussion that editors find endlessly fascinating :)
Helen Jezzard
Editor, IWR
[log in to unmask] on 27/02/2001 14:37:58
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Subject: Re: Web site or website?
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Right, so is it Web master then?
Marina
>
> It has been agreed by "Internet experts" that Web site is
> more prefered
> than Website.
>
>
> Whatis.com the IT-specific encyclopedia at
> http://whatis.com
>
> quotes the following:
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
> Website
>
> This definition is also listed under presence, site and Web
> site.
>
> A Web site (we prefer the two words rather than Website) is
> a collection
> of Web files on a particular subject that includes a
> beginning file
> called a home page. Some publications have begun using the
> term
> "Website." We prefer Web site.
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
>
>
> Other respected sites such as NetLingo Internet dictionary
> (at
> http://www.netlingo.com), and Webopedia (at
> http://www.webopedia.com)
> both use "web site" If you type in "website" to find the
> meaning, only
> a definition for "web site" comes up.
>
> In the very begining back in 1995, I remember well it used
> to be
> website, even my tutor spelled it like that back then.
>
> I have stuck to the traditional spelling, at my website (a
> directory for
> librarians)
> http://www.geocities.com/infolibrary/Page1.htm
>
> But unfortunately as my website is a directory, I have had
> to use the
> other spelling convention, "web site" which some users
> had included as part of the description and summary of
> their sites for
> inclusion in the directory.
>
>
> So I guess, like the debate between Macs and PCs, the
> debate between
> "web site" and "website" is gonna be around for a long time
> to come.
>
> Godfrey.
>
>
>
> Jane Ross wrote:
> >
> > Quick query to resolve a workplace debate! Should we
> > write web site or website? I favour the former (logic
> > cf web page and usage of several major sites) but wonder
> > if there has been a definitive pronouncement?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Jane Ross
> >
> > -------------------------------------
> > Jane Ross
> > Information Manager
> > Bristol University Careers Advisory Service
-----------------------------------
Marina Bruce
Deputy Librarian
St. George's Hospital Medical School
University of London
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