🚀 go-pugleaf

In <Bx8wCp.2ov@da_vinci.it.uswc.uswest.com>
bjones@lookout.it.uswc.uswest.com (Brent Jones) writes:

>>>> Jeff Jungblut writes:
>>>>
>>>> In my own writing, I usually use on-line except when referring to online
>>>> help, in which case I spell it as one word.

>>Considering I'm also usually the editor, it stays as I wrote it.  (In the
>>case of online vs on-line vs on line, at least.)
>
>I'm not sure what you mean here. You say you usually use "on-line"
>unless you are referring to "online help." Do you mean that you would
>write "on-line information" and "on-line access" but would write "online
>help"? As all of these strings have essentially the same grammatical
>structure, I'm not sure how you would justify the inconsistent 
>usage. Using "on-line" after the modified word in the sentence would
>also fly in the face of convention--most sources would recommend "on
>line." You would hyphenate the compound modifier if the reader is likely to
>momentarily read the first part of the compound, "on," as an adjective,
>which I don't think is true in this particular case. A sample sentence
>would be, "The help screens are on line."
>
>Just curious. Conventions are conventions, and not altars to worship at
>(at which to worship? :-)), but they should probably be logical and
>internally consistent. This is especially true in technical
>documentation.

I'm not consistent in that respect.  Here are some examples of how I use it:

"Make sure the printer is on line and selected."
"Press Command-? for online help."
"You use a modem for on-line communications with a remote computer."

My exception to the rule is "online help".  The only reason I do this is
because I've seen "online help" spelled this way in most documentation and
magazine articles, so that's my argument for consistency.  According to the
rules, it should be "on-line", not "online".