# How do you feel about uncapitalized posts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694 "2009-12-02T12:47:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/41 "2009-12-03T20:00:06Z")
Let’s not forget those who underutilize (wall of text) or abuse (a new one every or every other sentence) line breaks. In a contest of Which Annoys Me Least, someone who capitalizes nothing definitely wins out over those people. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/42 "2009-12-03T20:38:54Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > i really couldn’t care less either way. it only strikes me as “YouTubesque” if it is difficult to read. lack of punctuation, excessive punctuation (stop with the superfluous ellipses!), “lols” and the like are all annoying, but posts like these have youtube qualities regardless of whether or not they’re capitalized. > > how many people skipped this post? i’m gonna need a hand count. i’ll admit it - i’m just lazy. manual dexterity is not my forte and that dang shift key slows me down. at my age i don’t have enough time left to squander it on superfluous capitalization. i also have an unhealthy addiction to ellipses - for that, i probably need some serious professional help… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/43 "2009-12-04T05:45:10Z")
Don’t care. Rarely notice. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/44 "2009-12-04T06:54:14Z")
It’s not so much the lack of capitalization that gets to me, but _wrong_ capitalization. For instance, I would have a problem with the sentence “I live up North.” Making something a proper noun when it’s not bothers me. Also, other spelling/grammar mistakes would throw me off too. I don’t skip capitalization on message boards, but on AIM and other IM services, I tend to type entirely in lowercase. I just see places like these as being more formal than an instant message. ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/45 "2009-12-04T07:55:35Z")
One, or maximum two sentence responses, I have no problem with at all. In fact I am guilty of non capitalisation in these cases. If its a paragraph or more then I prefer more care. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/46 "2009-12-04T16:32:36Z")
wow. hate it to the point of ignoring the post eh? isn’t that a wee bit much? this is just a stupid quirk of mine i’ve carried with me since forever, though i do use capitalisations on stuffy formal affairs. i’m not about to change for anyone who would prejudge on such a minor thing. i voted for “Don’t care either way”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/47 "2009-12-04T16:43:09Z")
Uncapitalized posts often coming across like bow ties on men. Daring to be “different” in a small-time way. It’s not something that especially bothers me, except when it’s combined with a lack of punctuation in long posts, as in the case of a poster on a gardening forum I frequent. He may have something bona fide to say, but I’m not going to bother wading through that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/48 "2009-12-04T17:04:14Z")
I used to care but now I don’t care. After using the Intenet since 95 my tolerance for mispelling and grammar is almost nill. The only thing that REALLY bugs me are the use of mixed cases thIs WoUlD rEALly BUg mE ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/49 "2009-12-04T17:10:39Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > wow. hate it to the point of ignoring the post eh? isn’t that a wee bit much? > > this is just a stupid quirk of mine i’ve carried with me since forever, though i do use capitalisations on stuffy formal affairs. i’m not about to change for anyone who would prejudge on such a minor thing. > > i voted for “Don’t care either way”. Did you hear something? I could almost swear I heard something. Guess it was just the wind. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/50 "2009-12-04T17:24:38Z")
If the poster can’t be bothered to care enough to capitalize, I probably can’t be bothered to read it. I’m here for my enjoyment and to occasionally offer up a suggestion in GQ if I feel I can contribute something. Sidestepping an easily avoidable annoyance is quite reasonable. I’ll make an exception if the title of the thread is “help. my shift keys don’t work.” ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/51 "2009-12-04T17:53:42Z")
[del] “i’ll huff, and i’ll puff. i _will_ blow the thread down!” **lashed** Jinn ‘the Pigbane’ Threadkiller. [/del] ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/52 "2009-12-04T17:55:34Z")
Annoying and hard to read, but I have two friends who never use the Shift key, and probably wouldn’t if their lives depended on it, so I live with it. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/53 "2009-12-04T21:14:07Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > thIs WoUlD rEALly BUg mE Think of intercaps as the bright skin on a poisonous frog: it’s nature’s little way of saying, “Stay the fuck away: you don’t want any part of this shit.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/54 "2009-12-06T12:16:34Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > wow. hate it to the point of ignoring the post eh? isn’t that a wee bit much? > > this is just a stupid quirk of mine i’ve carried with me since forever, though i do use capitalisations on stuffy formal affairs. i’m not about to change for anyone who would prejudge on such a minor thing. > > i voted for “Don’t care either way”. Nope. To me it makes the most sense. The only civil way to get someone to stop is to ignore them until they shape up or go away. I’m not skipping your post now, but I have in the past (unless it was someone else who wouldn’t capitalize.) But, in that case, it wasn’t so much to get you to stop, but because I had a headache, and it made it hurt worse to try and figure out what you were saying. At least MeanOldLady managed to post in a way that I didn’t notice the lack of capitalization until she pointed it out. You’d better bet I noticed yours. It has nothing to do with judging you, and everything to do with disliking the way you talk. I’m pretty sure that, if we all got together and ignored your posts, you’d either leave or reform. The problem is, it’s impossible to get everybody together on anything around here. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/55 "2009-12-06T14:20:17Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > i’m not about to change for anyone who would prejudge on such a minor thing. And I’m not about to be won over by the argument that I’m shallow for not respecting your laziness. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/56 "2009-12-06T15:58:21Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > i’m not about to change for anyone who would prejudge on such a minor thing. This poll clearly shows that it is not a “minor thing” to many people on this board. If you are not willing to change a practice that 85% of responders do not like, and this is only a “minor thing” to you, I think that says more about you than anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/57 "2009-12-06T17:19:29Z")
Uncapitalized posts that are otherwise well formatted and composed don’t bother me. In fact, I find it oddly endearing. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/58 "2009-12-06T18:26:49Z")
It’s not that I _hate_ them, it’s that they’re hard to read. Experience tells me that they aren’t worth the effort. So I skip them. I’ll still read if it’s in digestible chunks and otherwise punctuated correctly. Drop a comma where a comma is necessary and I am outta there. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/59 "2009-12-07T13:30:55Z")
it’s difficult for me to defend myself without bordering on hypocrisy, but this is the closest i’ve come to a pit thread, so what the hell, i’ll try not to cross that line. 😃 > [@DianaG](#): > > And I’m not about to be won over by the argument that I’m shallow for not respecting your laziness. and had you deign my post worthy to be read, you’d realise that i had explained that it is stubbornness and not laziness in my case. so apparently, though i did not label anyone shallow (certainly not you, i enjoy reading your advice on relationships!) you were quick enough to deem me lazy despite my explanation. > [@amarone](#): > > This poll clearly shows that it is not a “minor thing” to many people on this board. If you are not willing to change a practice that 85% of responders do not like, and this is only a “minor thing” to you, I think that says more about you than anyone else. indeed, you cannot lower an ox’s head if it’s not thirsty. i myself suffer a mental speed bump when i see people mix up their “you’re” and “your”, “could care less”, “must of” etc. still, i would consider it a minor or superficial thing. certainly i do not hate them to the extent of getting headaches. i mean, come on! i honestly do not see how a lack of capitalisation is that hard to read, much less migraine inducing. > [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](#): > > … Drop a comma where a comma is necessary and I am outta there. see, i had to read this twice before i realise there must be a typo. that doesn’t mean i need a Panadol, nor would i thus dismiss what you intended to say. > [@BigT](#): > > … I’m pretty sure that, if we all got together and ignored your posts, you’d either leave or reform. … conformity or exile? no wonder it’s taking so long. ☹ * * * if yuo can undarstend tihs, i do nto see hwo teh lcak of capitilasatoin can meka a psot hrad to raed. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694/60 "2009-12-07T18:38:30Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > i honestly do not see how a lack of capitalisation is that hard to read, much less migraine inducing. English capitalizes the first letter of every sentence and lower-cases most everything else. Capitalizing makes it easier to quickly see where one sentence ends and the next begins. It’s not a huge thing, but it does make a difference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-uncapitalized-posts/519694.md?page=2)