# Am I being rude? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083 "2006-06-17T18:26:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/1 "2006-06-17T18:26:38Z")
I just realized that at some point, I stopped **bolding users’ names** when referencing them in my posts. I don’t object to it or anything, and I’m willing to start doing it again. So I’m curious. The custom is clearly to do so, but in not doing so, am I actually being rude? A connected question for me is: How much harder does it make it for you to read and follow a thread if user names are not consistently bolded? Are you likely to miss posts directed at you without this (assuming you are in ‘conversation’ with another poster already)? Do you find it makes following the conversation simpler? ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/2 "2006-06-17T18:40:53Z")
I do think it’s easier to see bolded names, and it does make it easier to follow the “mini-threads” within a thread, but I don’t think it’s rude not to bold names. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/3 "2006-06-17T18:52:19Z")
To answer the OP: no. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/4 "2006-06-17T18:53:37Z")
I don’t consider it rude not to. I know it is custom, but I don’t believe it is bad not to. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/5 "2006-06-17T20:29:14Z")
Hmm, not actually rude to not bold them, but definitely flouting the convention here. It is much easier to see the bolded names, and I wouldn’t mind it if everyone bolded names (at least the first time in a post - later mentions optional.) ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/6 "2006-06-17T20:37:31Z")
\*\*Oh! Fie upon you! Not bolding a name!!! There’s a level of hell reserved for you! \*\* okay, so I really don’t care one way or the other. if someone said it was bad manners, you have my blessing to ham a large, cumbersome object up their butt ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/7 "2006-06-17T21:34:09Z")
I bold-face names if I am talking to two posters within the same response. Such as: Blah, blah, blah, blah, **John Smith.** Blah, blah, blah. **Jane Doe,** blah, blah, blah, blah. I don’t think it’s rude not to do so, but I think it makes it easier to read, especially since some Doper names aren’t capitalized, and sometimes they blend into the sentence confusingly. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/8 "2006-06-17T21:41:31Z")
If you don’t bold names in general, how else would you show disrespect for someone by not bolding their name? I usually bold everyone’s name. There are a few posters whom I dislike and don’t respect and I never bold their names. Not that I expect anyone to notice or care; but I do it for me. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/9 "2006-06-17T22:30:21Z")
I don’t bold usernames out of politeness, though that is a secondary reason. I bold it because so many names are not “names” per se, but descriptions or stuff like that and thus blend right into a sentence sometimes. So, I’d like them bolded, but it’s not a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/10 "2006-06-18T08:16:26Z")
Not rude. It’s helpful to do so though. If I make a remark in a thread and am looking for a response to that remark, I’ll look for my bolded name or a quote. Sometimes I’m forced to skim the _loooong_ posts that neither interest, nor concern me. If you were to make a comment to me in the middle of a thread without bolding my name, I might miss it. Then perhaps, you might think _I_ were being rude by not responding. ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/11 "2006-06-18T11:35:54Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > If you don’t bold names in general, how else would you show disrespect for someone by not bolding their name? I usually bold everyone’s name. There are a few posters whom I dislike and don’t respect and I never bold their names. Not that I expect anyone to notice or care; but I do it for me. Oh drat. I don’t bold names when I forget. Which is about once in every four names. Now, if they follow you, **Homebrew** , are they going to think I’m disrespecting them? Hm. Maybe I should make that **Home** brew? Do you feel half dissed? Or just that I’m half clumsy? ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/12 "2006-06-18T11:37:17Z")
By the way, **Homebrew** - if that felt rude - was trying to be funny. Clearly I don’t always succeed. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/13 "2006-06-18T12:39:34Z")
> [@Ensign Edison](#): > > The custom is clearly to do so, but in not doing so, am I actually being rude? I don’t think it’s rude. It just makes easier for the poster you’re mentionning to notice your comment. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/14 "2006-06-18T14:00:59Z")
In super long assed replies to other’s posts, if one isn’t using quote tags either, than the bolding helps keep the post flowing, imho. Mostly, tho, it’s just a Dope convention (of sorts). I don’t see politeness, or the lack of it, entering into the equation. ymmv, ianact ianact = I am not a cow tipper. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/15 "2006-06-18T14:01:48Z")
**Ensign Edison** : I do not think it is rude to not bold usernames, however I do think it is helpful to bold them. In addition we have the example of the software doing the bolding for us in the reply/quote function. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/16 "2006-06-18T14:05:19Z")
Not rude in my opinion. And everything else that the others have said. > [@NoClueBoy](#): > > ianact = I am not a cow tipper. hwtmalt? = how will they make a living then? ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/17 "2006-06-18T16:30:38Z")
> [@gabriela](#): > > By the way, **Homebrew** - if that felt rude - was trying to be funny. Clearly I don’t always succeed. No worries, gabr **iela**. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/18 "2006-06-18T21:05:39Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > \ > ianact = I am not a cow tipper. But what if they gave you excellent service? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-rude/361083/19 "2006-06-18T21:36:21Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > But what if they gave you excellent service? Well, in that case, I would … wait a minute. Define “service” :dubious: