from NY Times: In the haphazard world of instant messaging and dashed-off e-mail messages, where “kk” isn’t a typographical mistake but just the latest bit of Internet slang (it stands for kays, or O.K.), does anyone really care about style and grammar anymore?
Google does. Taking the stance that unorthodox usage and punctuation and slang create a less straightforward searching experience, Google’s AdWords division, which is responsible for the contextual ads that appear alongside search results, insists on standard English and punctilious punctuation. Cater to teenagers hooked on text messaging? This is a world with no “dealz 4 u.” To those who say, “Grammar schmammar, this is advertising, after all,” Google might suggest: “Schmammar is not a word. Try ‘Forget about grammar’ instead.”
David Fischer, director for AdWords, said: “We really focus on creating ads that at the most basic level have proper spelling and grammar so that they’re clear to users. We really encourage clear, effective, to-the-point communication to searchers.
Google maintains an in-house style guide, which it says is a living document, expanding over time to include neologisms and pop culture references.
Dan Goldgeier
David Burn
Shawn Hartley
Wade Sturdivant