The end of an era is coming: As of June 1, Internet will no longer be capitalized.
No, there's no law mandating the change, and the Internet will still be a thing, you'll just start to notice a difference in the way the word appears on many websites.
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The update reflects a shift in the Associated Press Stylebook, the writing bible for many journalists in the U.S.
So while a large number of websites that don't use the AP Stylebook as a guide will continue to write the word as they see fit, for many others, readers will need to get used to seeing the word as "internet."
We will lowercase internet effective June 1, when the 2016 Stylebook launches. #ACES2016 pic.twitter.com/vv53323GL6— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) April 2, 2016
The change is being met with gratitude by some, and protest by others. In fact, if you keep scrolling through the responses to AP's tweet on Saturday, the debate about the change is incredibly civil and packed with good points.
@APStylebook Bad call, folks - ask any network engineer the difference between "an internet" and "the Internet".— wesmorgan1 (@wesmorgan1) April 2, 2016
@APStylebook dead wrong. There is and can be only one Internet. Lesser interoperable networks are individually "an internet." Embarrassing.— Robot Taylor (@robotterror) April 2, 2016
@APStylebook DON'T LET THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA STEAL OUR CAPITAL LETTERS!— Bill Stewart (@BillStewart415) April 2, 2016
@apstylebook The Internet is a proper noun. Without any reasoning attached, this looks like you were mostly just looking for some attention.— Gardner von Holt (@gardnervh) April 2, 2016
Alas, the change is coming, regardless.
At first a seemingly subtle shift, the diminution of the moniker, used to describe the system which started out as ARPANET in 1969, hints at the true mainstreaming of the system.
This handy video (above) will explain the difference between the Internet and the web if you're still thinking they're the same thing.
And although many news sites don't capitalize "the web," the AP Stylebook team also took a moment to note that it would also be shifting from capitalizing "the Web," and using a lowercase "w" for the word.
Also, we will lowercase web in all instances – web page, the web, web browser – effective June 1. #ACES2016— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) April 2, 2016
Now that the Internet (a network of computers) that supports the web (information pages that exist on Internet) has become as utilitarian as our water pipes (at least in most rich nations) its time in the sunshine is coming to an end. No longer a shiny new rock star in the story of technology, the Internet is now fading into the background as we all (perhaps foolishly) take it for granted.
Just as we still refer to the biggest action hero on the planet as the Rock, but we don't call the highway, the Highway, the Internet is (sadly) no longer that big a deal to many of us.
Ok @APStylebook it's a real thing. Can we celebrate with Cake? pic.twitter.com/0Smqff302h— PastryPlate (@PastryPlate) April 2, 2016
But we still have a whole two months to party with the Internet behind its velvet rope of online cachet. So let us remember the good times, before our beloved Internet is demoted to the low-budget sounding, grand as a no-frills box of corn flakes "internet."
It was fun while it lasted.