Yahoo! Web Style Guide

Yahoo! Knows How to Write for the Web?

Do you know how to write for the web? Well, Yahoo has just released their new Yahoo! Web Style Guide (available now!) and companion website to help you answer that question. When it was first announced that Yahoo was releasing this guide I was initially excited and felt like it was an important step forward. However, after thinking and reading about it, I’m failing to see why this is important to anyone except a select few, and I fail to see why Yahoo feels they are relevant enough to release this kind of guide.

What if Google Released This Guide?

If a web style guide was put together and published by Google; oh my, the Internet would be on fire about how this is the most important addition to web publishing since the adoption of HTML. This release isn’t from Google though, and Yahoo doesn’t have the juice it once did, are they expecting a wide adoption of this web writing style? So I will be interested to see what kind of adoption there is for the Yahoo style.

Yahoo’s Website Support for Your Style Questions

Aside from the book Yahoo has also introduced a companion website (http://styleguide.yahoo.com/) to assist with all of your web writing needs. I think the most interesting aspect is the Ask an Editor feature, which is basically just a Frequently Asked Questions page. I would love for this to turn into a real-time interactive feature incorporating social media tools to have real conversations with users and writers about their questions.

What About AP Style?

Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print, you don’t have the constraints of space on the web like in print. News reporters have had the AP Style Guide to be their universally accepted standard since the 1950’s and have a new edition released each year, usually in June. Yahoo has definitely become a more reliable and trusted news source over the years, but I think they have overreached their influence in this case.

Is Yahoo’s Web Style for You?

Will the Yahoo! Web Style Guide be widely accepted? I don’t know. It has only been out for a couple of days as this post, so that will be seen. I really wanted to write this article about how important an addition to copywriting and blogging this guide would be, but the more I thought about it the less important this guide seemed. I don’t want to come across as being 100% against this style guide, it’s a good first effort to standardize language and it’s proper usage on the web. I just don’t think Yahoo is the right company to set these standards. I know I will be purchasing a copy to put on my Kindle so I have it with me all the time, and I will use it help with my copywriting style, but aside from me, word nerds and some bloggers, I don’t see this as catching on like wildfire throughout the Internet.

- Brian Tudor

Follow @briantudor on Twitter

Thank-You for Joining us at the Cincinnati Office Open House and Ribbon Cutting

First, thank-you to everyone who came out to the Boot Camp Digital Cincinnati Open House and Ribbon Cutting Happy Hour.  We really enjoyed hosting you at the new office (and it gave us an excuse to finish decorating!), and I truly appreciate your support.

We had over 60 people in and out throughout the night (both new and familiar faces), and the party was a big success!

Also, a special thank-you to the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and Susan Houghton for conducting the ribbon cutting ceremony  as well as Kelley Long, for presenting the certificate, Debba Haupert from Girlfriendology who held the ribbon (but didn’t make it into the photo), Joe Wessels for helping assemble the furniture and prepare for the party.

Again – A big THANK-YOU to everyone who came out – your support and encouragement have helped to make this all possible.

All of the photos can be found on Flickr.

I heard a lot of good feedback about the networking opportunities (and free alcohol) so we are planning to try to make this a regular event.  Stay tuned for details on Thirsty Third Thursdays – A Social Media Mixer at the Boot Camp Digital Global Headquarters in Cincinnati Ohio.

Thanks again to everyone who came out, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

- Krista

Boot Camp Digital Office Party and Happy Hour #bcdParty

As you may know, Boot Camp Digital moved in to a new office in downtown Cincinnati late last year.  2009 was a great year and 2010 is looking even better.  We want to celebrate with you at an office Happy Hour.

We hope that you can join us – please feel free to pass the invitation along.

Adult beverages and light snacks will be provided.

What: Boot Camp Digital Open House and Office Party

When: Thursday, February 18, 4:30 – 7:30

Where: 602 Main Street (Gwynne Building at 6th and Main – Richter Phillips is in the bottom) Suite 705 (7th floor and follow the noise)

Social Media People: Use #bcdparty to follow the details of the event.  We’re on twitter – @kristaneher and @bootcampdigital (if you don’t already follow)

You can register at eventbrite or just show up!

What to expect at the Happy Hour:

• Ribbon cutting ceremony from the NKY Chamber of Commerce
• Drinks
• Smart social media and marketing people
• A tour of the office
• Photo and video opportunities
• Cincinnati Twitterati
• New people

2009 was an exciting year for us.  Some of our accomplishments include:

• Starting Boot Camp Digital!
• Successfully running 2 open enrollment bootcamps
• Speaking at 20+ industry events
• Working with P&G on groundbreaking social media work
• Moving in to a new office downtown
• Social Media provider for ad:tech NY (the largest digital marketing conference)
• Featured speaker in foreign countries including: London, England and Toronto, Canada
• Killing my first (and only) office plant

Can’t make it? We’ll post the pics here afterwards.

We hope to see you there!

About Boot Camp Digital
We help get your internet marketing in shape! Boot Camp Digital specializes in social media and digital strategy and provides services including, training, consulting and full-service social media execution. We help large, fortune 500 companies and small organizations leverage the internet and social media to strategically grow their business.