Is it VPS, or VPSs?

24khost

your virtual private servers are ready

Boltersdriveer

Guess the original guy who coined the abbreviation VPS never prepared for this :P

Virtual Private Server(s)? :S

gsrdgrdghd

@rds100 said: @Oliver exactly So why not VPSes then?

Because

@Oliver said: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbreviation#Plural_forms

To form the plural of an abbreviation, a number, or a capital letter used as a noun, simply add a lowercase s to the end.

A group of MPs
The roaring 20s
Mind your Ps and Qs

Oliver

I made a mistake though. Abbreviation != Acronym.

VPS is an acronym. I don't know and am giving up. :-)

gsrdgrdghd

The wiki article uses acronym as abbreviation, at least from what i can see in the examples they provide.

rm_

Sigh... Is this so difficult, really?

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm

Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural:
more than one witch = witches
more than one box = boxes
more than one gas = gases
more than one bus = buses
more than one kiss = kisses

More than one VPS = VPSes.

MartinD

Really, it should be VPSs. You can't concatenate the apostrophe & s because it's an acronym, the same rule applies to adding 'es' to make it plural.

I have many VPSs. I have one VPS. Your VPSs are all running correctly.

MartinD

@rm_ said: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm

Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural:
more than one witch = witches
more than one box = boxes
more than one gas = gases
more than one bus = buses
more than one kiss = kisses

"VPS" isn't a word, it's a acronym. Adding 'es' to the end of a word to form the plural applies only to words, not acronyms.

gsrdgrdghd

@rm_ said: Sigh... Is this so difficult, really?

You do not seem to be able to grasp the difference between a proper word and an acronym. The very site you linked states

When an abbreviation can be used to refer to a singular thing — a run batted in, a meal ready-to-eat, a prisoner of war — it's surely a good idea to form the plural by adding "s" to the abbreviation: RBIs, MREs, POW

MartinD

@gsrdgrdghd said: between a world and an acronym

Quite a lot of mass?

rds100

Ok, so who do we have to petition to make "VPS" a word (i.e. to add it to the dictionary) ?

gsrdgrdghd

@MartinD said: Quite a lot of mass?

Oops, fixed

@rds100 said: Ok, so who do we have to petition to make "VPS" a word (i.e. to add it to the dictionary) ?

I guess Oxford

MartinD

Why would you want to do that? Should we make all acronyms a word? It's pretty straight forward, plural of an acronym, add 's' regardless of the last letter of the acronym.

Ishaq

VPS'

You don't say "Virtual Private Serverss" Just "Virtual Private Servers"

Spirit

I am not native english speaker however I always use VPSs. Or CDs. Or CD ROMs... and for sure not CDes :P

Likewise acronyms and initialisms are normally pluralized simply by adding (lowercase) -s, as in MPs, although the apostrophe is sometimes seen. Use of the apostrophe is more common in those cases where the letters are followed by periods (B.A.'s), or where the last letter is S (as in PS's and CAS's, although PSs and CASs are also acceptable; the ending -es is also sometimes seen).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_plural#Plurals_of_letters_and_abbreviations

apostrophes
Make abbreviations plural by adding “s.”
MBAs, RNs, BAs, W-2s, IDs
No apostrophe is needed for decades.
http://www.osu.edu/resources/styleguide.html

Most modern advice recommends including an apostrophe only if there is a danger of misunderstanding or ambiguity. So we have ABCs, ATMs, CDs, CD-ROMs, CEOs, CPUs, DTs, DVDs, EEGs, GDPs, GCSEs, GPs, IOUs, IQs, MAs, MPs, NGOs, PCs, PhDs, SATs, SMEs, SOSs, TVs, UFOs, URLs, VCRs, VIPs, WMDs, and so on. Inserting apostrophes in some, e.g. ABC’s, is not an offence to legibility, but I would consider it dubious and unnecessary. That goes for initialisms ending in ‘S’, too.

http://stancarey.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/plurals-of-acronyms-abbreviations-initialisms-and-single-letters/

The plural of an abbreviation is usually formed by adding s to the end. However, although not common practice, it is acceptable to use 's if it is deemed to assist the reader.

http://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/abbreviations_forming_plurals.htm

Here is some other nice and simple explanation:

You make the plural and the possessive in the usual way for acronyms. For example: I had a VCR. The VCR's power button was broken. I bought another VCR, so I had two VCRs. Then the second one's channel selector button broke, so I could tell that the VCRs' buttons were made cheaply.

This rule is exactly the same when the acronym in question ends in an S. So you have one ACS, and a thing belonging to it is the ACS's thing. Or you have additional ACSs, and something belonging to the ACSs is the ACSs' thing.

http://painintheenglish.com/case/333

david

I've used VPS's, but I'd cut people some slack on however they want to do it.

rm_

@Spirit said: the ending -es is also sometimes seen).

And it is pronounced as "Vee pee ess es" anyway, it's impossible to pronounce "VPSssssssssssssssssssssssss"

GIANT_CRAB

VP-ass.

I don't really care though, something like 1 VPS, 2 VPS would work better.

Jeffrey

Multiple VPS Servers = VPSs
VPS Server = VPS
LEB VPS = LEB

joepie91

I typically use "VPSes". I do the same in CVM.

Dean

So multiple LEB are which: LEBs or LEBes?

joepie91

@DeanClinton said: So multiple LEB are which: LEBs or LEBes?

LEBs.

Try to say it out loud, and use 's' or 'es', depending on which you hear.

Dean

@joepie91 - I meant my reply to be to the original person asking about VPS; VPSs or VPSes - replace VPS with LEB and the answer should be the same.

Spirit

@rm_ said: And it is pronounced as "Vee pee ess es" anyway, it's impossible to pronounce "VPSssssssssssssssssssssssss"

So how do you write abbreviation of one of the largest and most powerful organizations in the Third Reich and how do you pronounce it (SchutzStaffel)?

DamienSB

just say: a bunch of dem' one here things.

Dean

@DamienSB +1

novaflash

VPS to me sounds like VP plural. But that would be virtual privates, so ew.
Nah I think VPSes is fine. Never use an apostrophe-s for a plural.

zachfedora

@Ishaq that would be the possessive plural form

wdq

I always go with VPSs or just plain VPS since it seems to make the most sense to me.

MartinD

And it is pronounced as "Vee pee ess es" anyway, it's impossible to pronounce "VPSssssssssssssssssssssssss"

Just because that's how one spells it doesn't mean that's how it's pronounced