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Why Capitalize Every First Letter?

Wigwam Jones

Wigwam Jones

Caesar non supra grammati
I have noticed this quite a bit lately. Not just on this forum, but actually on a lot of them, and FaceBook as well.

I remember the days of ALL CAPS and most people who do it are gently (or not so gently) reminded that ALL CAPS sounds like shouting and is very hard for other people to read. And sometimes I see all lower case, which can be a bit aggravating as well.

But, For Some Reason, This Format Seems To Have Become Popular Recently, And I Do Not Understand Why.

I have tried to (hopefully gently) suggest to a few of the people doing it that it is both difficult to read and a bit annoying, but the universal response I've gotten so far seems to either consist of amusement, as in "Oh, You Find This Annoying? LOL," or angry responses such as "I'll Type How I Want."

Look, if English isn't your first language, I want to be sympathetic, but this seems to be an affectation. Is it supposed to be hip or ironic or something? Is it some new fad that I'm just not aware of? I'd kind of like to know, because I'm seeing it more and more lately, and Yes, It Is Annoying To Old Farts Like Me.
 
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I find any style of typing other than "properly" to be annoying. Yes I will admit in chats and other instant messaging systems I will use the all lowercase approach because speed is sometimes a necessity. Otherwise I make an effort to ensure that my post is correctly punctuated and so forth.

When people type in an unusual way like all caps or what you're talking about, I simply don't read it because if they didn't go to the effort to properly type their message, why should I take the effort to read it?

As for why they are doing what you describe, I haven't the foggiest. I'm 21 and I don't understand the point in doing that either.
 
Grammar_Nazis____The_Motivator_by_ZlayaHozyayka.jpg
 
I've heard it called Headline Format, but not a clue when somebody would use it.
 
Jeffery said:
I've heard it called Headline Format, but not a clue when somebody would use it.
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I often use it in the Title line of forum posts, but only there. As one would title a paper or a chapter, or, as you said, a newspaper headline.
 
Urizen said:
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If everything is OK, then nothing is not OK. That would seem to me as useless as pouncetrifles who correct every little thing. If I err more to the stuffy side than to the lackadaisical side, there seem to be plenty of slobs on the other side to balance my inner Felix Unger out.
 
Some foreign languages, such as German, capitalize every noun. That habit can carry over to written English. Just a guess.

In any event with electronic communication there is also a lot of noise. People use all different ways to try and get above the noise. Some use caps. Some use colored fonts. Some use big fonts. Some use comical fonts. Some use a combination of those with a dash of alternating color.

They're unique people, not robots.

In grade school did you rag on the chicks that dotted their i's with little hearts?
 
Is slob really the correct word to describe these abusers? I always think of the morbidly obese when I hear (or read) the word "slob."
 
back in my younger days, before there were web based forums like this one, i used to post on usenet in all small letters.
 
PickyEars81 said:
Is slob really the correct word to describe these abusers? I always think of the morbidly obese when I hear (or read) the word "slob."
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Yes, slob is the correct word. It means slovenly, or obnoxious, or crude. You probably think of an obese person when you hear the term because it is often used in conjunction with the term 'fat', as in "that fat slob..." If the term meant 'fat', then the phrase 'fat slob' would be redundant.
 
RamblinE said:
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So I take it that your opinion is that no one is allowed to voice an opinion about the grammar of others?

In any case, I haven't criticized grammar in this thread. I'm not even sure what you call it. More the 'capitalization' meme that seems to be spreading. The grammar is generally fine.

Do you have a nice photo of a 'Capitalization Nazi' you could post instead of engaging in discussion? That would be good, I think we'd all appreciate it.
 
Hi Wiggie, It's the proclivity to imitate W.F. Buckley that so many like to indulge themselves in to inordinately pat themselves on the back, if'n you catch my drift.:yes: Ok, Ok only little mangly but....:D
 
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