(WASHINGTON, DC) The DC government is keeping up with the ever-evolving World Wide Web by adopting an increasingly informal style on the DC website. Among the changes, there are fewer capital letters, and periods have been eliminated in acronyms and abbreviations—like US, DC, or EOM (Executive Office of the Mayor).

These small but user-friendly modifications are part of an effort to make DC government information more accessible, complete, and easily understood. The Web Style Guide, recently updated by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), is designed to help DC government employees write for the web, so that the DC website becomes a place where residents can get clear and consistent information.

The guide generally promotes coherent and consistent writing, so it also applies to anyone who writes reports, letters, press releases or other material in their role as a DC government employee. It covers the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation, capitalization, spelling, terminology, word or formatting usage, as well as names, numbers, bullets, hyphenation, abbreviations, and acronyms.

OCTO welcomes suggestions and feedback from District employees and the public-at-large. Please email or phone (202) 727-7821.