# Proposed rule: No textspeak; capitals are mandatory **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 30, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293 "2012-03-30T16:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/61 "2012-03-31T03:42:48Z")
[FONT=“Comic Sans MS”] > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > [FONT=“Comic Sans MS”]Yes, you’re right. In fact, let’s have animated smilies (no, wait, animated _avatars_), increased use of colours in posts (Grapist be damned), and much more Comic Sans. > > Yes, I said it. Comic Fucking Sans. > I like Dr. Deth’s take. Not a rule of insta-warn, but the mods should clamp down on new posters who aren’t reacting to the intense “shunning” they get. If they’re sock/trolling, they’re not going to react to mod instructions. If they’re used to Yahoo than a mod note helps them join the community. [/FONT] [FONT=“Comic Sans MS”][FONT=“Comic Sans MS”]This post has been Sansed by the Sansist[/FONT][/FONT] [/FONT] > [@Marley23](#): > > That does happen sometimes. On the other hand, when a poster does something that annoys a bunch of people and insists on doing it, it shows kind of a lack in sensibility and comes off as less innocuous. Exactly. Enjoy! regards, True Blue Tao ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/62 "2012-03-31T03:45:26Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/63 "2012-03-31T03:50:31Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Eye dew knot sea watt ewe mien at awl. That’s not textspeak, that’s LOLcat. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/64 "2012-03-31T06:25:23Z")
How many people, reading and posting in this very new thread, are thinking: “Yakuza!” And I’m thinking: If there were such a rule, how fast would Yakuza have been told to knock it off, or worse, been gagged or banned? Problem being, that squelches a certain degree of… how shall I call it? … _distinctive personality_ that some members may bring to this board in their posts. He definitely brings come unique views, and some of his threads have stimulated much on-going discussion (not necessarily all of it amicable, but still…) Forcing him, of all people, into a mold would just be _so wrong._ (Note, by the way, how many other posters in Yakuza’s threads have adopted his conventions when posting responses in those threads. Hey, can’t we still have a little fun here?) That said, perhaps offenses at that level should just be best left to the moderators’ discretion, capricious though that sometimes is. Note, for example, that **Marley23** is now insisting that Yakuza spell out his words when he posts elsewhere: > [@The Struggle For Financial Comfort Needs To Stop](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-struggle-for-financial-comfort-needs-to-stop/617243/19): > > You’re not allowed to call people trolls unless you’re in the Pit, and **Yakuza** ’s habits are not worth that kind of energy. But what the heck: **Yakuza** , I’m giving you an official instruction here. If you’re going to post in Great Debates, make the effort to spell out the word “to” correctly. (I’m more bothered by that off-topic mini-flame-war that’s broken out between two other people in one of his threads, having nothing much to do with anything Yakuza ever wrote.) ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/65 "2012-03-31T07:44:40Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > **TL:DR** > > I’m not sure what to make of the **OP**. > > The medium is Internet, Internet has it’s own lingo. **YMMV**. > > Are we getting rid of **abbrv.** as well? > > **What’s** next, do we get rid of contractions as well? I’m OK with most of that. But “U” “2” and “4” are annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/66 "2012-03-31T08:23:08Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I’m OK with most of that. But “U” “2” and “4” are annoying. Cut the dude some slack for a while longer. He’s getting better. In another nearby thread (the one in Great Debates, I think, about [The Struggle For Financial Comfort Needs To Stop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646745) he’s still writing 2 a lot but spelling out “for”! I counted 9 times in the OP alone. Da guy is learning! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/67 "2012-03-31T09:06:04Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > I’m a member of a forum that filters text speak into self-abuse. For instance, if I were to write LOL on there, it would automatically convert it into ‘I smell of spunk’. > > Works surprisingly well. I would so be writing LOL all the time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/68 "2012-03-31T12:03:15Z")
So it’s unenforceable, and unneeded, _except_ in Great Debates? Where it’s too annoying to bear?:rolleyes: I don’t think anyone seriously expects the mods to hear or respond to the requests of the members, on this or anything else. But that’s just ridiculous, in my opinion, and makes the moderation, of the board, seem unnecessarily arbitrary and silly. Either it should be foisted on everyone, even Great Debates, or no one. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/69 "2012-03-31T14:01:46Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > How many people, reading and posting in this very new thread, are thinking: “Yakuza!” “Y’all are talking about a company rule that you can just start farting in a crowded elevator, but how many people hearing that rule are thinking ‘Geroge!’” No, sorry. we’re not losing some sort of distinctive personality, a wonderfully unique snowflake of awesomeness. The Dope has pretty much always not tolerated obnoxiously lazy, sloppy and/or childish writing styles. We just don’t do it. And we don’t need moderator action in general, because we’re not schmucks and we’re perfectly capable of making someone feel unwelcome if they don’t follow community standards. The only real reason that Yak drew mod fire is because of the significant possibility that his whole schtick is a put on. The idea that a voluntarily homeless man who is afraid of the Illuminati, spends 1/2 of his income on whores and thinks God wants him to live in a public park until the year 2025… well, the idea that he’s presenting a viewpoint that needs to be shared on the Dope is somewhat nutty. And that’s taking the rather large assumption that he’s serious. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/70 "2012-03-31T14:16:40Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > [FONT=“Comic Sans MS”][FONT=“Comic Sans MS”]This post has been Sansed by the Sansist[/FONT][/FONT] You mean “Comiced”. Sans just means “without”. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/71 "2012-03-31T14:20:06Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I agree, I do think it should be a rule. Capitalization and no text speak. It’s not that hard to follow. > > The internets are veritably brimming with places for that kind of nonsense, I think we should choose to be otherwise. > > Too hard for the mods to enforce? Really? Because it happens that often? Not seeing it, truly. > > They have no problems with you can say _this_ word but not _that_ word, in this forum but not that forum, but this is too difficult? > > I’d much rather they ended text speak and no capitalization, and let everyone swear instead! > > But I’m sure they won’t do it. Why bother? If it drives people away, their job gets easier. And I’m pretty sure it will, in fact, drive people away. I wouldn’t have stayed if I’d seen text speak, when I came here, that’s for sure. I could do without one sentence paragraphs as well. And while it wasn’t done above, people that do their own word-wrap should stop doing that as well. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/72 "2012-03-31T15:20:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That does happen sometimes. On the other hand, when a poster does something that annoys a bunch of people and insists on doing it, it shows kind of a lack in sensibility and comes off as less innocuous. The way I see it, that puts the style issue comfortably under the “don’t be a jerk” rule, which is already official. If your style is irritating a significant number of people here, and you’re aware of that fact and make _no_ attempt to conform to the board’s style conventions, then you’re being a jerk. Unfortunately, putting it under that rule makes it a lot more difficult to enforce, because who’s to say whether someone’s annoying _enough_ to be kicked out of the treehouse? It would open the door to a lot of criticism and accusations of unfairness in moderation. But making spelling and grammar rules “official” seems unnecessarily stodgy. I don’t like saying it’s a matter of degrees, a “I know it when I see it” sort of thing, but there is a big difference between skipping capitalization and using 2 and 4 and U everywhere. The first is at least easy to read and understand. As for the different standards being upheld in Great Debates, I don’t see a problem with it. There’s already a noticeable difference in posting style between MPSIMS and GD, which fits with their difference in tone and usual subject matter. I see nothing wrong with holding GD to a higher standard. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/73 "2012-03-31T15:52:26Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > You mean “Comiced”. Sans just means “without”. Just what we need-more sanscrit. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/74 "2012-03-31T16:37:12Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > We don’t need administrative sanction. > We can mock, ostracize and shame people all on our own. This. We will lose at least half of out mocking and shaming fun. But I don’t agree with ‘ostracize’, that would also prevent half of our mucking and shaming fun. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/75 "2012-03-31T17:29:48Z")
An anecdote that almost rises to the level of relevant and interesting (but not quite): When I first started texting I wrote things like “u” and “2” and my kids told me to stop doing that because nobody texts that way. They do use some abbreviations like “np”, but **Yakuza** ’s “texts” would annoy even teenagers. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/76 "2012-03-31T18:16:12Z")
It doesn’t look good for **6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast**. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/77 "2012-03-31T19:02:37Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > I’m a member of a forum that filters text speak into self-abuse. For instance, if I were to write LOL on there, it would automatically convert it into ‘I smell of spunk’. > > Works surprisingly well. > [@runner pat](#): > > That’s not textspeak, that’s LOLcat. I smell of spunkcat? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/78 "2012-03-31T19:04:06Z")
Yes, there’s trouble, right here in River City. Soon everyone will be saying “swell” if the young aren’t stopped from sliding into the gutter by banning them. We must save them from themselves. We must save ourselves from ourselves! While we’re at it, we should ban those who insist on using lazy, misspelled and delinquent-inducing American English. Better yet, the board should be programmed to change such spellings into decent, rest-of-the-world English. There’s nothing lazier and more leet than program, favor and color, and spelling words by using z because that’s how they sound. Give the search-and-destroy programme a personality. Call it Miss Grundy. It will break into busy work every time there’s a spare cycle and scan for leet Americanisms in every message ever posted and ban all those who dare use it. Then it can take a tape measure to everyone’s head, and ban those whose hair is too long, like those Beatle people’s. Not reading an annoying post is not an option! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/79 "2012-03-31T19:12:34Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > … > We must save them from themselves. We must save ourselves from ourselves! > > While we’re at it, … … we also need to ourselves from everyone else, and it almost goes without saying that we need to save everyone else from us. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/80 "2012-03-31T19:52:54Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Not reading an annoying post is not an option! That’s correct. Because you cannot identify it as annoying or not annoying until it has been read. Good police work, Kenm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293.md?page=5)