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BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE!
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Subject: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Tiger Date: 16 Aug 01 - 03:53 PM OK, YOU UPPERCASE POLICE NAZIS. I'M GETTING TIRED OF HEARING THE "UPPERCASE IS SHOUTING" CRY, AND SICK OF THE ADVERSE REACTION GIVEN TO FOLKS WHO INNOCENTLY WANDER INTO THE MUDCAT USING UPPERCASE AND, INSTEAD OF BEING WELCOMED, ARE IMMEDIATELY SET UPON BY SOME "upper case Nazi" WHOSE PRIME DIRECTIVE SEEMS TO BE "STRIKE THEM DOWN." Let's not forget why we're here. We have good music, good folks, good discussions. Love thy neighbor. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: catspaw49 Date: 16 Aug 01 - 03:57 PM Why the hell are you yelling Tiger? Spaw (:<)) |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: MMario Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:07 PM Tiger - the plain and simple truth is that for many, even most, people all caps is extremely hard to read. the convention on the internet is to refer to it as "yelling". |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Little Hawk Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:10 PM i think it would be cool if we banned punctuation too dont you then no one would know if the sentence was a question or an answer and it would be very hard to tell where one sentence ends and another begins then we could also ban paragraph breaks and spaces between things and just run everything together i figure this would drive some people completely nuts but maybe i am wrong what do you think lh |
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Subject: netequette, as silly as it is From: Clinton Hammond Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:12 PM If you plan to use a certain medium to communicate with, you'd better make sure to adhere to the 'rules' and customs of that medium, or no one is going to even give you a second glance... |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Jenny the T Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:14 PM Ithinkitisunfairthatyoubanpunctuationbutnotspacesbetweenwords JtT |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Ebbie Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:19 PM LOL |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Burke Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:35 PM ok, SO YOU HAD YOUR CAPS LOCK ON AND TYPED A LOT OF YOUR MESSAGE BEFORE YOU NOTICED. wHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS
Type DAMN CAPS LOC (then we know you didn't mean to shout) OR
Without need to retype you can get:
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Naemanson Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:42 PM Huh? What'd you say? I couldn't hear you. Speak up! |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: JohnInKansas Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:44 PM In MS Word, highlight the text and do a Shift-F3, and it will all be magically changed back to lower case. You don't even have to highlight single-word changes. If your cursor is "in" a word, Shift-F3 will roll it through ALL caps, Initial Caps, and all lowercase. Stop when you get where you want it. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:45 PM Cor, I didn't know you could do that. I've often though it'd be a great idea. I'll say that again! I'VE OFTEN THOUGH IT'D BE A GREAT IDEA. It works!
As I understand it, the Romans, who invented the letters we use, only used capital letters. But since they didn't have the internet to deal with, nobody told them off for it.
Mind, you didn't go telling the Romans off, did you? Not twice anyway. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Sorcha Date: 16 Aug 01 - 04:57 PM Well, I guess this is more fun than trying to reconcile my check book------bank says I have about $600 more than I say I have........I haven't spent it yet, tho. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Jenny the T Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:02 PM But is your check register in upper or lower case? |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: GUEST,Mad4Mud at work Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:11 PM Hey Sorcha, maybe it's your IRS refund check. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Sorcha Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:27 PM HA! Mad4--I wish it was. I found all but $8 of it--Mr. Sorcha was "helping" me........$8 is easily math errors given my aptitude with figures. Now I just have to pay the bloody bills.......aaarrrgghh I HATE balancing the checkbook (therefore I don't do it in a timely manner and you can guess what happens.)And Jenny, my check register is usually in lower case.........as in low numbers. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Amos Date: 16 Aug 01 - 06:10 PM The Romans used all caps but then a bunch of liberals got all over their case for wasting stone and hide and killing a lot of sheep unnecessarily -- someone figured that if only a lower case size were put in use, it would save the lives of 7,321 sheep a year in government scrolls alone!!! Sooner or later one of the politicians decided to do something to win the youth contingent and forwarded the law to the Senate. Now, however, this is not an excuse; electrons are in near-infinite supply, and the reason for going tot he trouble of using upper AND lower case is flexibility of meaning and as a courtesy to your readers. 'Course if your attitude is 'fockken leddum figgerid out!' thern there really is no reason for you to notice conventions of writing, unless you want to be understood! |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Mr Red Date: 16 Aug 01 - 06:13 PM I read in the New Scientist that someone (or was it PCW?) had (it wasn't Comp Shopper) come up with (Micro Mart maybe?) a whizzo app to delay the onset of caps lock by about 500 mS so when you hIt iT by aCCident it wouldn't toggle. brilliant idea, why so long it took, and get it where? CAP'n FANTASTIC - the programmer? |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Den Date: 16 Aug 01 - 06:37 PM Wot if we auld spent are worms uncorrectney.? Den |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: SINSULL Date: 16 Aug 01 - 08:50 PM hAPPY bIRTHDAY, dEN! dAMN cAPSLOCK! |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Chicken Charlie Date: 16 Aug 01 - 09:07 PM Clinton et al-- Sorry to disagree, but if somebody ignores me because what I'm writing is all upper or all lower case, the plain fact is that I believe that person to be an idiot. Conventions are made for people; people are not made for conventions. (Also Power to the People, and other such trite cliches.) CC |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: JohnInKansas Date: 16 Aug 01 - 11:06 PM Conventions are made for people, because adhering to the conventions makes the whole of society work more smoothly. But rather than argue with the "I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE RUDE" contingent, I'd like to point out that most newer word processors, if you look into the "preferences" and "tools" settings, will allow you to set your WP up so that it will automatically shift doubled caps at the beginning of a sentence back to "conventional" form, and will automatically turn the CAPS LOCK off. Being a conventional person, I'll apologize now for any offense taken with my first comments. Sorry. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Lin in Kansas Date: 16 Aug 01 - 11:34 PM As an editor, word processor, DTP person, and sometime writer, I heartily second the idea that language should be written so it is easily understood and conveys the intended meaning in the plainest manner possible. That's why there are rules of grammar and spelling. But then again, perhaps the people who can't be bothered with following those rules are conveying their meaning plainly--ya reckon?? (By the way, the convention according to the Bible of publishing, the Chicago Manual of Style, is to use italics for emphasis, not capital letters. And besides, it will give you a chance to practice your HTML skills. Oh, sorry, I forgot--can't be bothered, right?) No apologies for my opinion, either--I get sick and tired of having to fix this stuff for authors that should know better. Lin (feeling both cranky and crochety tonight) :>( |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Burke Date: 16 Aug 01 - 11:45 PM Now I'm confused. I clicked on Tiger's name to see who had been complaining about his (her?) use of caplocks. I found a whole bunch of lyrics posted by Tiger, but in spot checking, not a message anywhere that was all caps. I don't understand why the whole subject was brought up. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: JohnInKansas Date: 17 Aug 01 - 12:45 AM I took it to be a sort of "take" on other persons' complaints. Perhaps Tiger was just playing Mother Nature: "She's not really often cruel, but BOY can she be sarcastic!" John |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: pavane Date: 17 Aug 01 - 05:32 AM The evolution of typefaces and punctuation was all in the interests of being easier to read. This is founded on the belief that if you want people to listen to what you say, you make it as easy as possible for them. People don't like to work hard just to read a sentence. Type faces with serifs (like Times Roman) are easier to read than Arial. The old 'black-letter' typefaces were much more difficult to read, which is why they were replaced by the modern styles. (Look at 16th Century prints for evidence!) Words composed entirely of capital letters are also more difficult to read, but capitalising the start of certain words gives visual cues, such as the start of a sentence. Different languages have different conventions, (e.g. German).
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Tiger Date: 17 Aug 01 - 06:40 AM I wasn't really supporting the Cappers - just suggesting that we have better things to do than criticize newcomers (remember, music?). I used to live near a town in western New York called Campbell. Now, most folks would pronounce it "Camble" (like the soup) but not in Campbell you don't. It's "Camp bell" The locals twisted themselves into such a frenzy trying to trap unwary newcomers, that they never had any fun. IMHO |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Trapper Date: 17 Aug 01 - 08:36 AM Amos- Very punny... "The Romans used all caps but then a bunch of liberals got all over their case..." - Al |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Goody2Shz Date: 17 Aug 01 - 09:00 AM Time for a Prozac party? |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Naemanson Date: 17 Aug 01 - 09:10 AM Amos, you commented that "electrons are in near-infinite supply" but consider this. We used to think the oceans were full of fish and would never run out. We used to be3lieve there were endless forests. We used to think the solution to polution was dilution. You have engaged in old fasioned thinking. Conserve Electrons Now!! Brett (grinningandwavingsignsinsandalsandtyedyedshirt) |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Wolfgang Date: 17 Aug 01 - 09:18 AM Have you ever thought about good and bad instruction manuals for your technical apparatus(es?) and why some are good and others are bad? The good ones are good because the writers of them cared about people including their conventions and preferences and, perhaps even, prejudices. The bad ones are bad because the writers didn't care about people and said to themselves, oh well it only matters that all the relevant information is in there and those who care about order of information, readable print, caps and all that are idiots. Have you ever felt like treated as an idiot by the writer of technical manuals? Then treat you co-humans like you'd prefer to be treated by the writers of the manuals. Wolfgang |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Trapper Date: 17 Aug 01 - 10:47 AM Tiger- I'm not usually a CAPSLOCK Nazi, but I AM a SPELLING Nazi! Did you mean PREROGATIVE in the title of your post? - Al pur·ga·tive (pûrg-tv) adj. Tending to cleanse or purge, especially causing evacuation of the bowels. n. A purgative agent or medicine; a cathartic. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: GUEST,Denise:^) Date: 17 Aug 01 - 10:51 AM ...or, perharps, purgartory--as in, the respondents cause the person typing in caps to suffer long and hard for their misdeed? I was wondering about that, myself... Denise:^) |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Mark Cohen Date: 17 Aug 01 - 06:52 PM No, I think purgative was exactly right. Look at what's come pouring out! Aloha, Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Mark Cohen Date: 17 Aug 01 - 06:54 PM No, I think purgative was exactly right. Look at what's come pouring out! Aloha, Mark |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Mark Cohen Date: 17 Aug 01 - 06:56 PM Sorry...the cyberwizards told me it didn't go through the first time, and I was silly enough to believe them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Little Hawk Date: 17 Aug 01 - 07:12 PM s;; tohj, gjers yjrt jtmo; eprtfd pm tyjosd mpmdejse@ O jave sjf gidj spinb ermpighj pf ot pam O wamt omt tp wjp[! Shit! Damn keyboard nubblies!!! I'm experiencing acute spatial disorientation! - LH |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Chicken Charlie Date: 17 Aug 01 - 07:13 PM John in K.-- Sir--Are you equating yelling at somebody who uses all caps with "smooth" functioning of society. That's not smooth to me, that's making a tempest in a teacup, a mountain of a molehill, and all other such hyperboles. The rancor of the discussion exceeds, from this observer's perspective, any eyestrain caused by reading all caps. I agree with the premise that all caps are hard to read, but nobody ever says, "Please release your capslock, I can't read what you're writing." Instead, they say, "ohmigawd, I'm not a minority or other truly disadvantaged person, but I need to be victimized too so I'll claim that having to read all caps is the same as being shouted at, and then I can have a psychotic episode and it will be all your fault, you mean all-caps user you." CC |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 17 Aug 01 - 09:59 PM Funny, I've never seen anyone say that, Charlie.
In fact on the Mudcat the reaction that it gets is more akin to the way people groan when they hear a pun. A jokey sort of criticism, not a fierce attack. Elsewhere I believe it may be different.
The odd thing is that, letter by letter it's easier to read Capitals - look at the way they tell you to print your name in Block Capitals on forms. But somehow we find it easier to read lower case when we are reading extended text. I suppose it's because we are working by recognising the shape of the word rather than piecing together the letters.
For example I find that if you take two bits of text,one in lower case, and one in upper case, and stick a bit of paper so it covers up the upper half of the words, or the lower half, it is quite easy to read the lower case text, but harder to read the upper case.
Does the same kind of thing go on with other ways of writing, like Japanese or Chinese characters, or Indian or Arabic or Hebrew?
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: katlaughing Date: 18 Aug 01 - 12:06 AM CC, be careful about making assumptions about who each reader might be. For all you know some are minorities. we could also have members who have trouble with their eyes. There is nothing wrong with being thoughtful and using the conventional way with words in this medium. Besides that is someone "SHOUTS" in all of their postings, eventually people will skip over them, kind of like the boy who cried wolf. So, if someone points out to a newcomer that all caps is considered shouting, they may have done them a service, hopefully in a polite way. my 2 cents kat |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 18 Aug 01 - 11:45 PM I don't wish to get involved in the prerogative-vs-pejorative argument here, just pass on some observations. (Hope I spelled those right.) Recently I read that when we read, we analyze the empty spaces around the letters in addition to the letters themselves. I found that most interesting. It explains why print that is too compressed is hard to read. It also helps explain why block caps are hard to read - the empty spaces are not the familiar shapes. For me, it explains why I cannot decode block chords (notes piled atop one another) in written music. The spaces are missing around the tops and bottoms of the noteheads. Finally, if you page through a magazine and look at the ads, you will note that text which is intended to be read is almost never in block caps. The ad industry knows that people do not have patience with block caps. Too bad the people who write prospectuses aren't as intelligent. |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: Tiger Date: 19 Aug 01 - 05:59 PM Trapper...... I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. An elephant's faithful,.....well, you know.
Chicken Charlie......
J-in-K...... |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: GUEST,mg Date: 19 Aug 01 - 11:49 PM I get really irritated too when people do the "you're shouting" thing. To me that is just plain nuts. Some people prefer typing in all caps. Let them. If you don't like it, don't read it. Just skip over it. I think it is extremely rude to say "you're shouting" to a probably innocent person. And this is a fairly new convention or rule. It wasn't always around. mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: John P Date: 20 Aug 01 - 12:33 AM Hmm, I've been reading the internet for about ten years now, and writing in all caps has generally been considered to be the equivalent of shouting for that long at least. Anyone who wants to communicate effectively should learn to use the medium. If you are writing, learn to spell (or use a spell checker), punctuate, and use caps appropriately. Or be prepared for folks to treat you like the ignoramus you are appearing to be. John Peekstok |
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Subject: RE: BS: CAPSLOCK PURGATIVE! From: GUEST Date: 20 Aug 01 - 11:57 AM I disagree that type faces with serifs make for easier reading. I think they look cluttered, too King James as it were. Home or work the only time I use serifised fonts is when forced to by somebody else's fill in box. Here, for example, all the messages come up on the screen without serifs except for this little type-in box that has them. When I have song lyrics I am trying to learn from a sheet of paper on the couch or music stand, I type it in all-CAPS and bold to boot. I find it easier to read. So to each his own. I think most all-cap posts here are by accident rather than intent to annoy, so I agree with Tiger's premise, read 'em and move on. |