The ITS Guide to Writing Content for the Web

The ITS Web Presence style guide

Contents

Introduction...... 1

Web Presence Content Guidelines...... 3

Linguistic and Grammatical Style Guidelines...... 7

Introduction

This style sheet is to be read in conjunction with the University of Otago web style guide

The platform for the ITS website is the University of Otago CMS system. The style of writing on all ITS webpages/sub websites web pages and ITS FAQs will be consistent with other University of Otago web content and in line with: - this ITS style guide and the - University of Otago web style guide

Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. So think about what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible. Keep in mind George Orwell's six elementary rules ("Politics and the English Language", 1946):

i. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. ii. Never use a long word where a short one will do. iii. If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out. iv. Never use the passive where you can use the active. The ITS web presence style guide 2 of 25

v. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. vi. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

NB: Set your Word dictionary to UK English. Americanisms, e.g. organized, are not acceptable in University of Otago documents, electronic or otherwise.

Spacing and formatting Supply web publication copy that is clear of any unnecessary formatting and spacing between sentences or paragraphs. The easiest way to do this is to turn on the ‘¶’ editing tool as you write. This tool shows paragraph marks and other hidden formatting symbols.

Excelling in Service The ITS web presence style guide 3 of 25

Web Presence Content Guidelines

Banners These are the large images across the top of each webpage. There are a series of different banners (initially seven in the set). The banner changes when the reader clicks into different areas of the website. New banners will be produced and updated on a regular basis as agreed by the ITS director. The banners of the ITS web presence (main ITS site and any sub sites) are selected and approved by the ITS web presence governance steering group. The final sign-off of banners to be published is to be signed off by the ITS director (chair of the web presence governance team).

FAQ/Frequently Asked Questions Definition: FAQs are typical questions that customers ask about a service and standard answers to these questions.

The first sentence of the answer reflects the question e.g. Question: How can I order a new mobile phone? Answer: You can order a new mobile phone by.... This also ensures the answer will be a statement makes sense in isolation if it appears in a search. The answer is written in the style prescribed by the ITS style guide.

Answer: is written as the start of each answer

This standard phrase: Do you have a question? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions - must appear as a hyperlink at the bottom of every service webpage:

Procedural images e.g. screen dumps, follow the standard prescribed by the ITS style guide.

If the FAQ answer content is becoming too long, consider putting the content into a tip sheet/procedure sheet, etc. Think about how the customer might use this information, and what the best format is for it.

Images All images on the ITS web presence are of a photographic style. This is the style required on all ITS web presence sites, FAQ database and sub-sites.

ITS have engaged a photographer to keep the photographic style consistent on their website.

The ITS Web content writer can arrange any photography required. Requests are to be made to the ITS web content writer.

The final sign-off of publishable image styles and photographs is to be signed off by the ITS director (chair of the web presence governance team).

No other logos/images may be introduced, (with the exception of Uniprint).

Location of ITS web content:  Content for webpages is stored in the University's CMS system.  Images/photographs displayed on webpages are stored in the University's CMS system.  ITS documents that are linked to from the webpages are stored in the ITS Docushare folder 'ITS website documents'  Documents published on the website are provided in PDF format.

News and events The objectives of the news and events area of the ITS website are:  getting key messages out to ITS customers  publicising of short term duration messages  the announcement of new services and changes to current services.

News or events items could include:  Upcoming training courses  New services e.g. Lynda.com  Introducing seminars e.g. open days  Announcing project updates e.g. ITM  Changes to services e.g. phone numbers where 470 is replacing 479 in front of extension numbers)  Announcing that ITS is currently undertaking student recruitment for the student IT Service etc.  Introducing a new ITS staff member  Advertising expos or displays about ITS services that will have ITS staff representation  Announcing updates to service charges  Announcing customer feedback from a recent survey.

The format of the news and events webpage is:  content links located at the top of page  items are listed in order of most recently published to oldest published items.

Remember your audience The ITS website provides information to a range of audiences such as:

 researchers  teachers  students  staff

 visitors on campus  departmental IT staff  the wider community.

In the future, specialised audience views will provide a list of quick links to information relevant to this particular audience.

Service notice The ITS service notice webpage is designed to inform customers of any potential interruptions to services. Procedures for how these notices are to be written and posted are held in Docushare, refer to:

Procedures for ITS service notices

Service webpage content A webpage is created for each ITS service.

The key information that the page should provide is:  What the service is  How to access the service  Upfront items a customer would want to know that can be explained briefly. Example of a webpage: Desk Phones  Choosing a deskphone model  Using your deskphone  Call forwarding, call diversion, tolls.

Web page length – content control Keep content length to one screen page where possible. If scrolling is required, content links (anchors) can be placed at the top of the page to link the customer to the right information with minimal scrolling e.g.:  Endnote software webpage.

Web page content – version control When information is going to be superseded and you need both versions available for customers through the web presence, update the webpage to show the new version and provide a link to the old version of the content on a separate web page. At a later date when this content is no longer relevant that page (older version) is deleted.

Web page structure The structure of webpages must conform to the web office framework

Left hand menu bar Top level (homepage). The homepage is the welcome page, and includes a message from the director of ITS. There is a maximum of eight menu items at the top level on the left hand menu bar and these are:  About ITS  Service Notices  News & Events  ITS Services  Forms  Frequently Asked Questions  Policies & Guidelines  Contact ITS.

Right hand menu bar Top level (homepage): menu items are Search (top right) and Audience view Second Level (e.g. ITS services, news and events): menu items are Related Information. Third Level (ITS services): menu items are Top Related FAQs.

Linguistic and Grammatical Guide

Abbreviations Unless an abbreviation or acronym is so familiar that it is used more often than the full form (e.g., BBC, FBI), or unless the full form would provide little illumination (e.g., DNA) write the words in full, e.g. for ISB write Information Services Building. As a rule upper-case abbreviations take upper-case initial letters when written in full.

Alternative Strictly, this is one of two, not one of three, four, five or more (which may be options).

And Refer University of Otago web style guide

Adviser, advisory adviser not advisor.

Amid Do not use amidst.

Ampersands Refer University of Otago web style guide: Ampersands (&) and section

An An should be used before a word beginning with a vowel sound (an egg, an umbrella, or an h if the h is silent (an honorary degree). There are some exceptions e.g., a university.

Any any more not anymore.

Anti anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-plagiarism

Apostrophes Refer University of Otago web style guide: Apostrophes section. Use the normal possessive ending ‘s after singular words or names that end in s: boss’s, business’s. Use it after plurals that do not end in s: customer’s, student’s. Use the ending s’ on plurals that end in s: bosses’, students’, administrators’ Do not put apostrophes into decades, e.g. the 1990s.

Application Use the word software in preference to program or application, when talking about a product/software version.

As As of (5 April or April): choose on (or after, or since) 5 April, in April. Do not use As to: there is usually a more appropriate preposition.

At We rest from our labours at weekends, not on them and during the week our children are at school, not in it.

Audio audioconferencing, one word. audio visual, two words, no hyphen.

Bachelor’s Refer University of Otago web style guide: Academic degrees section

Backup Computing term. backup, backups, one word backing up. The act of making a backup copy.

Be Use the word ‘be‘ rather than get For example Your computer might get be infected by malware if you…

Benefit Benefit, benefited, benefiting

Blogs Refer to ITS services section.

Brackets If a whole sentence is within brackets, put the full stop inside.

Bullet lists Refer University of Otago web style guide: Bulleted lists section In a list begin each point in lower case* with a full stop only at the end of the list if it to be read as one sentence incorporating a list, e.g...

Learn to:  swim  bike  run. Or, if the points are full sentences, begin each one with upper case and a full stop at the end.

*If the list mostly contains nouns with capitals for the first letter of each bullet point, keep it consistent for aesthetics sake, e.g.

 Amsterdam  Beijing  My backyard  Luxembourg.

Capitals

Case/capitalisation  Use sentence case in all situations, including headings.  Avoid capitalising every word in a heading  Capitalise the first word and proper nouns (such as people’s names) only  Capitalise the first letter after a colon. For example  The Department of Classics paper list  Essays: Frequently asked questions.

The general rule is to dignify with capital letters organisations and institutions, but not people. If in doubt use lower case unless it looks silly.

Organisations, acts, etc. Organisations, departments, University ordinances, acts of legislation, etc, generally take upper case when their full name is used. Thus, , Department of Psychology, Information Security Office, Information Technology Services Building, University of Otago Code of Student Conduct, Dental Library etc.

Use lower case for rough descriptions e.g. the copyright act

Names e.g. Vodafone, Telecom, Apple Mac, , Otago Blogs, Otago Wiki, Blackboard, Unitube but iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone, iTunes U.

People Use upper case for ranks and titles when written in conjunction with a name, but lower case when on their own. Thus Queen Elizabeth, but the queen. All office holders when referred to merely by their office, not by their name, are lower case: the prime minister, the director of IT, the manager of Teaching and Learning Facilities. If you want to describe the office rather than the individual, use lower case: The next vice chancellor of the University of Otago will be a woman.

Places Use upper case for definite geographical places, regions, areas and countries: (New Zealand, the South Island, South Pacific).

Events Anzac Day Christmas holiday hours Course Approval period New Year's Day (but new year) Otago Anniversary Day Summer School.

CD-ROM Should be written in capitals.

Cell phone Do not use ‘cell phone’, use ‘mobile phone’.

Centred Centred on, not around or in.

Circumstances Circumstances stand around a thing, so it is in, not under, them.

Colons Use a colon to list items as follows: They have the following requirements: hardware, software and the necessary wiring.

Commas Use commas as an aid to understanding. Too many in one sentence can be confusing. A breath, and therefore a comma, is needed after longer passages: When it was clear that there had been a major system failure, not a power cut, the technicians were called in. If the clause ends with a bracket, which is not uncommon (this one does), the bracket should be followed by a comma. Do not put a comma before and at the end of a sequence of items unless one of the items includes another and. Thus The team leader suggested further training, a project plan and clearly assigned project roles. Then he ordered coffee, crackers and cheese, and a bowl of fresh fruit.

Complete Use complete instead of fill e.g. complete the application form.

Contact details Refer University of Otago web style guide: Addresses and phone numbers section.

Co- Hyphen used within the word co-ordinate, co-operate. Refer ‘hyphens’.

Cross-credit Written as two words. Refers to the inclusion of points from one qualification in another.

Cyber-terms Always lower case: cyber-soccer, cybernetics, cyberspace, cyberwars.

Data Data is plural

Dates Refer University of Otago web style guide: Dates section

Degrees Refer University of Otago web style guide: Degrees and qualifications section

Department titles An example of a formal title is: Department of History, not History Department.

Demos Plural of demo

Dependant dependant (person), dependent (adj)

Desktop All one word

Diplomas Refer University of Otago web style guide: Academic degrees section

Divisions Refer University of Otago web style guide: Abbreviations/acronyms section

ITS. Refer to ITS rather than the third person plural ‘we’, e.g. ITS offers courses in managing blogs.

IT Training. When referring to the service and the team, capitalise the ‘T’ on Training. As a link e.g. “contact the IT Training team” Don’t include ‘team’ in the link.

The correct names of the academic divisions are:  Division of Commerce / School of Business  Division of Health Sciences  Division of Humanities  Division of Sciences.

The correct names of the service divisions are:  Academic Division  Financial Services Division  Human Resources Division  Information Services Division  Marketing and Communications Division  Property Services Division  Research Division  Student Services Division.

In general, divisions should be referred to by the full names listed above. In some cases however, such as when the name of a division is repeated a number of times in close proximity, more informal forms are used. For example, Commerce Division or Humanities Division. For external purposes, the Division of Commerce is always known as the School of Business.

Dollars Refer University of Otago web style guide: Monetary values section

Dotcom Computer terms are usually lower case. Use dotcom.

Dr Note no full stop.

Drop-down When referring to a drop-down menu

Due to Due to: when used to mean caused by, it must follow a noun, as in: The cancellation, due to rain, of... Do not write: It was cancelled due to rain. If you mean because of and for some reason are reluctant to say it, you probably want to use owing to. It was cancelled owing to rain is all right.

Effectively Effectively means with effect; if you mean in effect, say it. The matter was effectively dealt with on Friday means it was done well on Friday. The matter was, in effect, dealt with on Friday means it was more or less attended to on Friday. e.g. Two full stops required.

Email Refer University of Otago web style guide: Email section.

Written as one word with lower case ‘e’ unless used at the start of a sentence. Write as email when used as a noun rather than the phrase ‘email messages’. Write as email when used as a verb, e.g. ‘You can email the ITS Helpdesk’.

Enquire Use ask.

Enrol/enrolment Refer University of Otago web style guide: Enrol section.

Ensure Make sure or certain. etc. Note the full stop. ethernet Lower case ‘e’ on ethernet. e-expressions Except at the start of a sentence, the e- is lower case and hyphenated:  e-business  e-commerce.

Fact The fact that can often be more simply written as: That.

Farther Farther (distance).

Fax Refer University of Otago web style guide: Addresses and phone numbers section.

Fewer Fewer (not less) than seven computers. Use fewer, not less, with numbers of individual items or people.

Fill Refer ‘complete’

Focus Focused, focuses, focusing.

Fulfil One l, but fulfils, fulfilling, fulfilled.

Full stops Use plenty. They keep sentences short. This helps the reader. Do not use full stops for abbreviations or acronyms.

Further Further (additional).

Get Refer ‘be’ Get is an adaptable verb, but it has its limits. A man does not get sacked or promoted, he is sacked or promoted.

Grey Not gray.

Handout Written as one word.

Headings Refer University of Otago web style guide: Headings section.

HelpDesk ITS Helpdesk = ITS HelpDesk Other Helpdesks = [name] Helpdesk

Helpsite All one word e.g. See the Otago Connect Helpsite

Hyphens Use hyphens for:

1. FRACTIONS (whether nouns or adjectives): two-thirds, four-fifths, etc.

2. MOST WORDS THAT BEGIN with anti, non and neo. Thus: anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-plagiarism.

3. Some words that become unmanageably long with the addition of a prefix, e.g. under-performing.

4. TO AVOID AMBIGUITIES high-school girl high schoolgirl Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) or Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

Do not overdo the literary device of hyphenating words that are not usually linked.

5. SEPARATING IDENTICAL LETTERS: book-keeping (but bookseller), pre-eminent (but precondition), re-entry (but rearrange). Exceptions include override, overrule, underrate, withhold.

6. NOUNS FORMED FROM PREPOSITIONAL VERBS: bail-out, build-up, call-up, get-together, round-up, set-up, shake-up, in-depth, plug- in etc.

Important If something is important, say why and to whom. Use the word important sparingly. i.e. Two full stops required.

In as much Use sparingly. Consider using ‘since’ instead.

Incur/ incurring

In depth Make a deep study or even a study in depth, but not an in-depth study.

Indispensable

Indistinguishable

Inquire To seek information formally.

In so far

Install install, instalment, installation.

Insure Insure against risks.

Intel Trade name.

Internet Refer University of Otago web style guide: Internet section.

Investigation/s Investigation/s of, not into.

Italics Use italics for names books, movies, newspapers, journals or other publications. Not “ ” (quotation marks).

ITS (the entire organisation) Refer Divisions section.

ITS websites/sub websites Initially there will be some ITS sites that will remain as sites linked to from the ITS website. The criteria for these is that they are sites that explain in detail how to use a system e.g. BB helpsite.

All sub websites will have the Back to ITS button positioned at the top left of the site e.g. No other logos/images can be published on sub websites, with the exception of the Uniprint site.

Information on ITS’ sub websites will not be repeated or reside on the ITS website or FAQ system. Sub website pages must link to the FAQ/webpages located in the FAQ database or on the ITS website.

ITS Services For example:  iTunes U service  Multi-choice exam marking service  Online phonebook  Otago Podcasts  Otago Blogs  Otago Wikis  Videoconferencing.

IT Training Refer Divisions section.

Judgement Use the British spelling (judgment is the American spelling).

Keyboard and mouse use left clicks = click right clicks = right click Ctrl+Alt+Del Shift+Right Click

Knowledgeable

Label labelled, labelling.

Laptop Computer terms are usually lower case e.g. laptop.

Last The last issue of a newsletter implies its extinction; prefer last week's or the latest issue. Last year, in 1996, means 1995; if you mean the 12 months up to the time of writing, write the past year. The same goes for the past month, past week, past (not last) ten years. Last week is best avoided; anyone reading it several days after publication may be confused. This week is acceptable.

Less Less (not fewer) than $200, less than 700 tonnes of paper, less than a third, because these are measured quantities or proportions, not individual items.

Level 100-level, 200-level, 300-level etc. always use a hyphen

Licence (noun) We have issued a licence for this software.

License (verb) They will need to license this software. Software licensing is essential.

Links When putting links in the text write the title of the link in full so it is meaningful in its own right e.g. application for University Username, ID Card and/or Library Access (.pdf, 128 KB). Align links on the left hand side of the webpage, using hard returns if necessary.

Locations on campus For example:  St David Lecture Theatre.

Log in, logging in No hyphen, lower case. Alternatively, use the phrases ‘user name and password’ or ‘access details’.

MAC Computer term, e.g. MAC address (Media Access Control address)

Mac OS The Apple Macintosh operating system.

Macrons in Māori words Refer University of Otago web style guide, e.g. Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo

Manageable

Measurements Use lower case for measurements e.g. kg, km, lb (never lbs), mph. Prefer hectares to acres, kilometres (or km) to miles, metres to yards, litres to gallons, kilos to lb, tonnes to tons, Celsius to Fahrenheit, etc. Use the sign % instead of per cent. But write percentage, not %age.

Meet Use meet instead of meet with.

Menu items When referring to a menu name bold the menu name e.g. To edit an Otago Wiki page: 1. Click the Edit link that appears on each page. 2. Make changes on the form that shows the existing content. 3. Click the Save button. When referring to two menu actions in a row use > between menu names e.g. You can also quickly optimise settings using the Audio Setup Wizard in Otago Connect: 1. Select Meeting > Audio Setup Wizard. 2. Follow the onscreen instructions to optimise audio quality. If a dialog box appears requesting access to your camera and microphone, click Allow.

Mobile phone Use instead of ‘cell phone’.

Monetary values Refer to the University of Otago web style guide. Pricing: when writing costs for services write as $0,000.00 plus GST, per hour/annum/staff member.

Mouse and keyboard use left clicks = click right clicks = right click Ctrl+Alt+Del Shift+Right Click

Multi-choice Refer to ITS services

Net Computer terms are usually lower case, e.g. the net.

No one No hyphen. Do not use no-one.

Collective nouns. There is no firm rule and it is best to go by the sense, that is, whether the collective noun stands for a single entity (The staff is loyal) or for its parts: (The staff are on leave). In general, treat both a pair and a couple as plural.

A rule to remember for number: The number is. A number are.

Other nouns. A department or a company are ‘it’ and take a singular verb. Also singular are economics, mathematics, physics, and politics when being used generally, without the definite article. But such –ics words are plural when preceded by the, or the plus an adjective, or with a possessive. The politics of New Zealand are interesting. Basics, graphics, and statistics are all plural. Data and media are plural. So are whereabouts.

Numbers Refer University of Otago web style guide: Numbers section. Never start a sentence with a figure; write the number as words instead, e.g. Eight printers were installed.

Numbered lists Use numbered lists when there is a list of instructions that the reader needs to follow.

Occur Occur, occurring.

Off-campus, On-campus Use hyphens when used as an adjective or adverb. For example, lectures are an on- campus activity; but the function was off campus. Also refer to hyphens section.

Off-site Means off-campus. Also refer to hyphens section.

Offline, online No hyphen. Computer terms are usually lower case.

On to Written as two words – do not use onto.

One One: try to avoid one as a personal pronoun. You will often do instead.

Only Put only as close as you can to the words it qualifies. Thus, These departments meet only in June. To say They only meet in June implies that in June they do nothing else.

Operating system Written as per the programme name e.g.  Windows = Windows XP, Windows 7  Macintosh = Mac OS X 10.5

Organise Don’t use organize. Set your Word default dictionary to UK English to prevent Americanisms. Refer University of Otago web style guide: Spelling section.

Outside Use outside instead of outside of.

Outlets You plug your computer network cable into an ‘outlet’, not a port, wall socket or plug.

Paper/paper codes Refer University of Otago web style guide: Level of papers section.

The basic component of a course, papers are abbreviated thus:  CHEM 111. Note the space between the letters and the numbers. Similarly, the full titles of papers should be presented in a standard format, as set out in the Calendar:  CHEM 111 Molecular Architecture. Note the use of spacing and capitals in the title. For clarity in large blocks of text the use of italics is recommended:  The 100-level papers CHEM 111 Molecular Architecture and CHEM 112 Molecular Reactivity are both required for a major in Chemistry.

Per cent Use the sign % instead of per cent. But write percentage, not %age. Should be written as two words if necessary.

Performance-Based Research Fund Refer capitals section.

Permissible

Phone Acceptable, especially when preceded by mobile, but use it sparingly. Use of telephone is preferable.

Phonebook Refer ITS services section.

Photo Not permissible, so use photograph.

Podcasts Refer ITS services section.

Position titles Refer University of Otago web style guide: Honorifics and titles section. Departmental IT Support person Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Hyphenated as shown). In full, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) or Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).)

Professor of… Not Professor in … Do not use Prof., write in full as Professor.

Practice, practise Practice. That is not common practice. (noun). Practise. We have been practising the fire drill procedures. (verb).

Problem The problem with problem is it is overused, so much so that it is becoming a problem word. You could replace problem with issue.

Postgraduate Written as one word.

Preferred, preferring

Principal, Principle Principal. Head, loan amount (noun). Principle. That theory would work in principle (abstract noun).

Programme Course of study, spelt the British way. You may program a computer but in all other contexts the word is programme.

Program Computer program, e.g. Compaq program. Use the word software in preference to program or application when talking about a product/software version.

Punctuation Refer apostrophes section. Refer brackets section. Refer colons section. Refer commas section. Refer question marks section. Refer quotation marks section. Refer quote marks section.

Question marks Question-marks always come at the end of the sentence. Thus: Where could he get a computer, he wondered?

Quotation marks Use double quote marks to indicate direct speech by a person unless there is a quote within a quote. For example, “It’s ‘just like a bought one’, as my brother would say.”

Quote marks Use single quote marks to indicate a quotation, for example: The ITS customer service strategy vision is ‘Excelling in Service’.

Regular Regular is not a synonym for ordinary or normal: All-Bran keeps you regular.

Report Report on, not into.

‘s’ for ‘z’ Use ‘s’ instead of ‘z’ for words like epitomise, randomise, recognise, etc. Refer University of Otago web style guide: Spelling section.

Same Often superfluous. If your sentence contains on the same day that, try on the day that.

Semester One Note capitals and use of One, but “first semester”.

Serviceable

Set up No hyphen. Write as two separate words, not ‘setup’

Shutdown

Singular or plural? Refer nouns section.

Sizeable

Simplify and use fewer words For example: Use ‘can’ rather than ‘is able to’

Software Use the word software in preference to program or application when talking about a product/software version.

Software versions. Use version numbers, except where the popular name is more meaningful, for example: “Excel 2010”, “SPSS Version 12”.

Spacing Allow one space after a full stop at the end of a sentence and/or after a colon or semi-colon.

Spelling Refer University of Otago web style guide: Spelling section.

Stationary Still, motionless.

Stationery Writing paper and so on.

Strings Specifying strings (computer coding) “ “[string]” (no quotes)”

Swap Not swop

Target, Targeted Target is a noun. If you are tempted to use it as a verb, try aim or direct. Avoid the use of targeted.

Telephone The word telephone is preferred rather than phone. Refer phone section.

Telephone numbers Refer University of Otago web style guide: Addresses and phone numbers section.

Their Can be used instead of ‘his’ or ‘her’, e.g. ‘The child took their book to school’.

There is, there are Often unnecessary. There are three issues facing the department is better written as: Three issues face the department.

Time 11am, 4.30pm in small capitals.

Timetable

Transferred, transferring

Undergraduate Refer University of Otago web style guide: Postgraduate/undergraduate section.

Under way Do not use underway.

University Refer University of Otago web style guide: University section.

Unmistakable

Unnecessary

Usable, unusable

Users Do not refer to people as ‘users’. Wherever possible use ‘you’ when addressing or referring to your reader or customer.

Username One word.

Vice versa Two words, no hyphen.

Videoconferencing All one word. Refer ITS services section.

Voicemail One word, not two. Do not refer to voicemail’s message recording function as a ‘mailbox’. It’s just voicemail.

Web Computer terms are usually lower case, e.g. the web.

Website Refer University of Otago web style guide: Website section.

While Use while not whilst. While is best used temporarily. Do not use it in place of although or whereas.

Withhold All one word.

Wiki Refer to ITS Services section.

Excelling in Service