computer web style guide
brand name
always lowercase: computer web
never: Computer Web, ComputerWeb, CW
grammar rules
all lowercase everywhere except where legally required.
sentences: lowercase, full stops
headings: lowercase, no punctuation
lists: lowercase, no punctuation at end
no title case anywhere
voice principles
aggressively literal
declarative and direct
zero marketing fluff
explain things like reading from a 1980s computer manual
we make websites. on computers. for the internet.
brevity
cut redundant words
let context do the work
if the heading says it, list items do not repeat it
punctuation rules
no exclamation marks. ever.
no questions in copy. just statements.
word choices
avoid: very, really, just, simply, easy, powerful, solution
use: works, exists, included, sorted, done
example list formatting
ordered lists:
- domain sorted
- hosting managed
- ssl certificate active
- email working
unordered lists:
- domain sorted
- hosting managed
- ssl certificate active
- email working
not:
- Domain sorted!
- Hosting managed.
- SSL certificate active?
- Email working...
philosophy
the name is deliberately redundant. computers. web. websites. lean into it.
the constraint is the feature.
say what it does, not what it means.
deadpan sincerity throughout.
kraftwerk energy applied to web design.
computer web boots like a computer: quickly, efficiently, without fuss.
application
this guide applies to all computer web content.
client sites use adapted version: how we write