people who CAPITALISE single words in the middle of the posts

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I don't really understand why people feel COMPELLED to do this. It always sort of looks a bit GREEN INK to me. I mean, other media such as BOOKS and MAGAZINES manage without CAPITALISING words in the MIDDLE of the SENTENCE, so why do people do it on MESSAGE BOARDS?

― a PEDANT writes..., Friday, 8 April 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

I do this. Sorry.

― jill schoelen is the queen of my dreams! (Homosexual II), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

and those people who emphasise words to change the meaning of sentences when they speak. what's the point of that. oh wait.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

it's easier than say to do this.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Because capitalisation in interweb format is indicative of SHOUTING. In normal conversation, one does tend to raise one's voice to bring attention to SOMETHING OF NOTE.

(Plus I have actually started to see it working its way into conventional non-interweb press at literature.)

― Adherents of the Repeated Kate (kate), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

ts: entertaining playful writers vs lame unimaginative rule-bound conventional frightened dullards

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Because message boards are kinda like speech! Also people often came to them from chat rooms, which are even more like speech, maybe?

Also I learnt to type from Mandee.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

and *this* is just retarded.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

haha i used to write in green ink also PH34R M33333

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

and writing things in bold like this is a bit boring.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

however, this is perfect

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

you have to picture us STANDING UP when we capitalise, and *taking off shoe and banging it on table* when we ast*risk

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

ken c *OTM*

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 8 April 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure I get THE point OF this THREAD but I like THE idea OF capitalising all THE wrong WORDS in THE sentence in THE hope THAT it will annoy PEOPLE even more.

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

*what* would HAPPEN if you mix and match?

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

KEN C YOU HAVE MADE ME THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:01 (twenty years ago)

the death of fun forever until someone forgets

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:01 (twenty years ago)

i wonder if

this

works!

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

oh right!

highlighter pen

used to be great for things too

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:04 (twenty years ago)

how do you make words go pretty colours?! I dodn't even know that was an option.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:04 (twenty years ago)

I may well be a LAME UNIMAGINATIVE CONVENTIONAL FRIGHTENED RULE_BOUND DULLARD, but actually the CAPITALISING of individual words is by now something of a MESSAGE BOARD CONVENTION ITSELF. But it's one that I find a bit AESTHETICALLY DISPLEASING and I also have a psychological reaction that I feel like someone's SCREAMING AT ME. I think it rarely really ADDS anything to the post therefore I find it a bit of a POINTLESS convention. But don't mind me, it's a FREE COUNTRY and all that, post away exactly how you wish, you IMAGINATIVE UNFRIGHTENED UNLAME THROW-AWAY-THE-RULEBOOK wacky types!

POST ON I say!

― a PEDANT writes..., Friday, 8 April 2005 13:04 (twenty years ago)

dang! i give up

xpost

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

Let's see if this works...

― Adherents of the Repeated Kate (kate), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

or this?

― Adherents of the Repeated Kate (kate), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

I was reading Franny and Zooey in the loo yesterday and had to stop because I found all the italicising for emphasis too wearing.

― Alix with an I ? (alix), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:06 (twenty years ago)

check this out!

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

ah, now I see!

― Adherents of the Repeated Kate (kate), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

i'm typing words in black!

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

You KNow What I'm Talking About

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

Damn. Well fuck that then.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

it's a different kind of black to everyone else's tho

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

oh no, that was supposed to be purple. :-(

― Adherents of the Repeated Kate (kate), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

blacker than thou

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

i think it's psychologically INTERESTIN that capitals so effectively translates to screamin, since it's purely CONVENTIONAL

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

Red?

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

red in my HED

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

I get ANGRY sometimes, SORRY.

― latebloomer: strawman knockdowner (latebloomer), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

Goth $V£N!

― Alix with an I ? (alix), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

Red!

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

also it probbly works best when someone w.a sense of rhythm is writin (or indeed READIN)

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

I'm sorry - I probably do this more often that I should. If there were HTML tags that could show me leaning into certain words in a post more than others, I would do that. However, I am on a mission to remove the "shouting" stigma from CAPS LOCKery, & replace it with "unbridled enthusiasm". WISH ME LUCK!

I wonder why

ken c

is monkeying with

carriage returns?

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:11 (twenty years ago)

hehe you guys are so cute trying out the code

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:12 (twenty years ago)

this is like that thing when you leave off the questions marks isn't it

― pete b. (pete b.), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:12 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure I get THE point OF this THREAD but I like THE idea OF capitalising all THE wrong WORDS in THE sentence in THE hope THAT it will annoy PEOPLE even more.

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=tbn:ADoxyL88t80J:www.benheck.com/Games/Shatner%2520with%2520Pirate%2520NES.jpg

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:12 (twenty years ago)

I likee the colored words.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

Now this is more like it.

― Adherents of the Repeated Kate (kate), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

or not. well, they're big.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

Secret HTML Codes!!! (secret! don't click)

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

Don't MIND me. Please POST AWAY making free and liberal use of the ALL CAPS button. But I agree with the Salinger reader above, it does get WEARING to my eyes.

ps I've often WONDERED what happened to all the dropped "g"s in MARK S'S posts. Does MARK S think he's LORD PETER WHIMSY? Is he out all day HUNTIN SHOOTIN and FISHIN? Or are his DROPPED "g"s an approximation of a COCKNEY ACCENT? The WORLD wants to KNOW.

― a PEDANT writes..., Friday, 8 April 2005 13:17 (twenty years ago)

no they don't.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 35 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Now HTML grandstanding = the end of The Black Hole where Maximilian Schell crawls into the shell of his robot named Maximillian!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

It's just like the old days of HTML threads.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Except you have to do it like this!

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Hey, get this GARISH HTML SHIT off my nice thread!

― a PENDANT writes..., Friday, 8 April 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Hey, get this GARISH HTML SHIT off my nice thread!

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:57 (twenty years ago)

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:57 (twenty years ago)

i may have meant punctuation gah

xpost

― Alix with an I ? (alix), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:58 (twenty years ago)

I'm not satisfied until I see someone DANCE.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:59 (twenty years ago)

I forgot to add punctation to this

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 13:59 (twenty years ago)

you still capitalised i am still winning next i will remove all surplus letters and possibly remove function words

― Alix with an I ? (alix), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

oh man this works on animated gifs!!

http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mvollmer/whoa/dance.gif

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:04 (twenty years ago)

ltwghtz

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:04 (twenty years ago)

HTML posters are all lame

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

http://idisk.mac.com/stephentrousse/Public/saville.gif

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mvollmer/whoa/dance.gif http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mvollmer/whoa/dance.gif http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mvollmer/whoa/dance.gif http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mvollmer/whoa/dance.gif http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mvollmer/whoa/dance.gif http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mvollmer/whoa/dance.gif

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

siht od uoy nac tub evisserpmi yrev lla s'taht

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

*automatically corrects split infinitive in chinagraph pencil on computer console*

― the littlest sub (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

what is wrong with capitalizing when you are just EXCITED? I know that's what me and Greg do. It has nothing to do with being shouty!

― jill schoelen is the queen of my dreams! (Homosexual II), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

FUCK YEAH!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

there is NoThInG wrong w.it EVAH, MaNdEE¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

"NOT all the time! Only when it's FUNNY!" — Roger Rabbit

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

http://base58.com/ilx/helvetica1925c.gif

― $V£N! (blueski), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

awesome, and just as i was getting readying to buy autechre tix!

― latebloomer: strawman knockdowner (latebloomer), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

I disagree that it doens't add something to whatever you're posting. Among other things, it can, counterintuitively, actually help show that you aren't TOTALLY serious about being PISSED OFF even while arguing like you REALLY are.
Like this:
I am fucking shocked that you're acting like such a dick. fuck you.
vs.
I am fucking SHOCKED that you're acting like such a DICK. FUCK YOU!!!

Does anyone else read the first one as colder, meaner, and more serious?

― ()ops (()()ps), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

xpost haha yes.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

http://www.subgenius.com/

― Where is Erasto B. Mpemba? (ex machina), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

much as i love jr bob dobbs what does that have to do with anything

― Alix with an I ? (alix), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/ilx/Blue.jpg

― lock robster (robster), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:25 (twenty years ago)

http://giganticmag.com/images/ilx/coopergreen.gif

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:25 (twenty years ago)

WoRsT oF AlL aRe tHe PeOpLe WhO tYpE iN aLtErNaTiNg LoWeR cAsE aNd CaPiTaLs. ThIs TrUlY mYsTiFiEs Me. It SlOwS dOwN tYpInG sPeEd ImMeNsElY (aLtHoUgH i SuPpOsE oNe ImPrOvEs WiTh PrAcTiCe) AnD CeRtAiNlY rEdUcEs ReAdAbIlItY, AnD WoRsT Of AlL, dOeSn'T sEem To HaVe AnY PoInT At AlL iN tErMs Of AdDiNg NuAnCe.

Crap, that took my like a half hour to type.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

I am fucking SHOCKED that you're acting like such a DICK. FUCK YOU!!!

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

haha it is an hommage to jAmIe ReId d00d! ransom note grafz!

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 8 April 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

Pity the poor human Earth Pink who comes looking for a SIMPLE, SHORT EXPLANATION of The Church of the SubGenius™, one that he or she can UNDERSTAND QUICKLY. If the Church could provide THAT, it would be bigger than Islam or Christianity by now -- and probably much, much worse.

A True SubGenius, however, understands EVERYTHING, INSTANTLY upon exposure to the Word or even just the Face of Dobbs.

― Where is Erasto B. Mpemba? (ex machina), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

emphasizing certain words with all-caps gives one's posts a mike myers-like delivery.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:01 (twenty years ago)

ZIPPY THE PINHEAD has a LOT to ANSWER for!

But to be boring and practical, capitilizing words ensures that when someone copies and pastes your text, your emphasis on the words will remain, whereas with italics, special fonts, etc. .. when translated back to a plain text domain like this very text message window at the bottom of this thread, all the formatting gets filtered out, so ALL CAPS is the way to preserve that EMPHASIS.

― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

how in fuck's name do you guys get those crazy fonts??

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

aLt CaPz or TRouT-SPeaK DoeSN'T TaKe THaT MuCH LoNGeR To TYPe ouT, DoeS iT? (oh hang on it does, but I still like it, esp. troutspeak)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:21 (twenty years ago)

i'm not going to bother reading the entire thread, but i'm almost compelled to start a new thread called "people who log out and post under pseudonyms on perfectly mundane conversational threads that aren't about sex lives or jobs or controversial matters where a particular opinion might tarnish one's standing/professional reputation/ability to eat lunch in this town again" (i say dud).

― jody the country girl doll (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:35 (twenty years ago)

Matt Foley: "I live in a van down by the river."

Matt Foley: "I live in a VAN down by THE RIVER."

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:36 (twenty years ago)

ham FISTED

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Friday, 8 April 2005 16:48 (twenty years ago)

I do it sometimes on the internet, but the internet is a whole different thing from real life.

― Dan I., Friday, 8 April 2005 16:53 (twenty years ago)

because I don't ALWAYS want to type html for italics.

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

I LOVE it when people write like this. It reminds me of LURID tabloid writing.

― Leon WK (Ex Leon), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

how in fuck's name do you guys get those crazy fonts??

Wha? You mean, like, Helvetica? Cooper Black isn't exactly uncommon, either.

http://www.payless.com/Images/psslogo.gif

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

Oho, but what is that fancy font that spells "Look smart. Payless."?? Now that is exotic.

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

i think my tendency to seem excited online kind of throws people off if/when they actually meet and/or speak to me on the phone, because my voice is sorta monotone and dull.

― jill schoelen is the queen of my dreams! (Homosexual II), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

by "seem excited" i mean the capitalizing random words and using TONS of exclamation points!!!!!!

― jill schoelen is the queen of my dreams! (Homosexual II), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

Oho, but what is that fancy font that spells "Look smart. Payless."?? Now that is exotic.

haha yeah, you think they use a Mac, maybe?

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

(actually... wait... nevermind. That's trebuchet, not lucida.)

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 8 April 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

omg

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 8 April 2005 19:52 (twenty years ago)

I am incredibly guilty of this. I used to do it in essays in college too. I just like big letters.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 8 April 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

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