# Dumb question about posting etiquette (I am not an English major). . .
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 27, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894 "2004-11-27T16:54:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/41 "2004-11-29T13:15:48Z")
> [@Cisco](#):
>
> Since our names are now hyperlinks instead of **bold characters** , I generally do not bold other poster’s names anymore. I mean, we weren’t just bolding them to make vanity drive-bys easier, were we?
Not really. So many user names are just ordinary words; bolding them makes it clearer that the word is actually a username and not just any old word (which might make the sentence appear nonsensical).
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### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/42 "2004-11-29T13:35:13Z")
> [@swampbear](#):
>
> People could throw a ducks onto a stage to show **David Simmons** that his joke quacked em up.
Which answers the age-old question, **Why A Duck**?
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### Author:  [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/43 "2004-11-29T17:26:29Z")
> [@phouka](#):
>
> Common nouns are capitalized at the beginning of a sentence, so if a user name is a common noun (like mine), then by all means, do so.
>
> For uncapitalized proper nouns, like e e cummings, I believe the answer is to leave it uncapitalized in all instances.
I would count a username here as a proper noun even if it was chosen due to being a common noun. If someone nicknames himself “snake” it’d become “Snake”, wouldn’t it? However, I agree that capitalising the proper noun would make sense; indeed in all cases except where the capitalisation is obviously relevent. If someone’s called stUPiDcapTlIsTioN, capitalising it seems… redundant. Indeed, little short of a shotgun could solve the problem[1].
Also, I seem to recall reading somewhere in [theslot.com](http://theslot.com) archives that the famous lower-case using author thought lowercasing his name in normal print stupid, but I can’t find it now. Does anyone know?
[1] I’m joking. And I believe that name to be made up. And _some_ names with unorthodox capitalisation work very well, it’s just that _many_ are stupid.
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### Author:  [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/44 "2004-11-30T05:43:05Z")
So, at this point, I guess I’m lost. . .
Are we considering Doper’s names proper nouns or not? I myself always have. You’re referring to someone definite and specific. . .
Tripler
Man, I’m glad I opened this thread. . .
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/45 "2004-11-30T05:50:30Z")
> [@Shade](#):
>
> Also, I seem to recall reading somewhere in [theslot.com](http://theslot.com) archives that the famous lower-case using author thought lowercasing his name in normal print stupid, but I can’t find it now. Does anyone know?
See my link in post #28.
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### Author:  [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/46 "2004-11-30T14:00:13Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#):
>
> See my link in post #28.
DOH! Thank you.
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### Author:  [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/47 "2004-11-30T16:45:58Z")
> [@Cisco](#):
>
> I’m obviously in the vast minority here but bolding dopernames tends to irk me
Poor, poor **Cisco**. 😉
–Cliffy
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-about-posting-etiquette-i-am-not-an-english-major/276894/48 "2004-11-30T17:05:44Z")
> [@Shade](#):
>
> DOH! Thank you.
😃
**And just for you, Cisco, is this better, then?** 😉
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