Pinyin with regards to the internet

[Guest jderke]

I'm having difficulty understanding the Pinyin representation of the Chinese language as it relates to the internet, etc...

for example, if i were refering to "food".. it seems like I should type it as Shi2 Wu4 .. and yet, it seems like it's also typed as Shi Wu .. which seems like, to me, could mean

Shi2 Wu3 - fifteen

Shi4 Wu4 - work

So.. why don't I see pronunciation numbers consistently? Also, with regards to the internet, a lot of Chinese language websites seem to have english url's... a lot seem to have numbers.. I know there's an effort to utilize Chinese characters for that, but, does Pinyin Representation have a role? and, should I have written Pin1 Yin1? or is Pinyin correct?

Thanks for helping me understand

[Haoqide]

haha, yeah, it really stinks. I'd like to know the answer to that, myself. I'm guessing because there's not a great universal font for the tone marks, and perhaps people are too lazy to actually type the numbers out?

[geek_frappa]

this is a big problem.

if you search "shi wu",

http://chinese.primezero.com/pzcdz/o.php?search=shi+wu

too many result ...

you can narrow your search with "shi2 wu4",

http://chinese.primezero.com/pzcdz/o.php?search=shi2+wu4

fewer results... but sometimes confusing for learners of the language.

most people understand what you are talking about if they are well-educated in Hanyu Pinyin. when typing pinyin, i mix in some english for words that might seem "funny" to say.

i am also very lazy about tone numbers.

this is a good question.

i hope we can find an answer.