# Saying it wrong on purpose



## ednorton (Apr 7, 2008)

There are, technically speaking, two Internets. One—Internet2—is used privately by universities, scientists, corporations, and the US government agencies. 

The other, which we might call the plain vanilla Internet (meaning the most basic kind), is the one nearly everyone else in the world uses. It’s what most of us mean when we say “the Internet.” 

However, a lot of people are now calling the regular Internet the Internets, plural, with an ‘s’ at the end. It takes only a little research to see that they are mimicking President George W. Bush who is on record as misspeaking this way. He said “Internets” instead of “Internet” in 2000 and again in 2004. 

As a result, “Internets” is now a heavily entrenched word, a plural used where a singular is usual. 

But why do some people say it that way? 

Read more:
http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/saying_it_wrong_on_purpose/


----------

