On: Stupid, Stupid xBox

[cek]

I think it's funny how Nat capitalizes "xBox". The official capitalization that was finally settled on was "Xbox". It annoys the marketing people to no end when people capitalize it wrong.

I always thought xBox looked cooler.

[mnicole → cek]

It totally does. I always thought the official was "XBOX"; "Xbox" looks like the way someone uninformed would write it or that it was an afterthought of a product.

[hackmiester → mnicole]

Meanwhile, in reality, Nat looks uninformed for writing "xBox" because it is incorrect.

I'm not saying "Xbox" is necessarily the best, or that I even have an opinion, but it does happen to be the correct capitalization.

[jrockway → mnicole]

Using correct English capitalization rules makes someone "uninformed" now?

[wmf → jrockway]

Given that it's a proper noun and the pronunciation is "X Box", I would think the pseudo-initialism "XBox" would be more proper English.

[jrockway → wmf]

Given enough time, everything becomes assimilated to look "normal". Consider the words RADAR (RAdio Detection And Ranging) and LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) -- what started as initialisms became normal words after people started using them regularly. It can presumably happen to newer words like "Xbox" and "Gmail" too.

[mnicole → jrockway]

The logotype is set as "XBOX", so yes, writing it as "Xbox" looks uninformed.