Jelle Druyts

I came across an internal email the other day that lays down some official branding rules for .NET. Since I'm a bit of a perfectionist in these matters (a "comma-copulator" if you would be so kind as to allow the rather strict translation from Dutch), I'm glad I've been adhering to the first rule pretty much from the beginning and the second for some months now, but it hurts my eyes to see Microsoft itself and other people use the .NET term incorrectly so thought I'd share these with you:

• .NET is always in all caps. Never .net or .Net.
• With two exceptions (ASP.NET and ADO.NET) there is always a space between anything and .NET. For example, Visual Studio .NET, not Visual Studio.NET.
• Whenever possible, do not refer to ".NET applications" because it is imprecise and potentially confusing. That could mean one of two things: an application that "connects" via XML Web services and/or an application built on the Microsoft .NET Framework. It's better to be specific. In first mention, refer to applications built on the .NET Framework as ".NET Framework-based applications." At second mention it is ok to refer to these apps as "Framework applications." When referring to applications that connect using Web services protocols, use "Microsoft .NET-connected".

That last rule is rather fuzzy and "marketingy" but if you're craving for more, this page on Microsoft.com provides a good overview of the guidelines: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/trademarks/netguide.asp