# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/81 "2012-03-31T22:37:32Z")
I am in favor, but let us also ban contractions lest we sound like boorish hicks. ---
**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, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/82 "2012-03-31T22:51:12Z")
And let’s not forget banning prepositions that sentences end with. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/83 "2012-03-31T23:51:15Z")
I blame avatars for bringing the common text-speaking riff-raff to the hallowed halls of the Most Intelligent Message Board On The Internet™. Told you it would happen! WHAT? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/84 "2012-04-01T00:37:08Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > H8ters Shouldn’t that be “H8ers”? > [@Senegoid](#): > > How many people, reading and posting in this very new thread, are thinking: “Yakuza!”) I think **Yakuza** is the only reason for this proposed rule. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/85 "2012-04-01T00:59:38Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > It doesn’t look good for **6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast**. Normally you might be right, but since their username is a _Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy_\* reference, it cancels out the Text thing. As for the OP, I don’t support the concept as a rule, but I agree it’s a useful Guideline. \*Well, _Restaurant At The End Of The Universe_, which is part of the Hitch-Hiker’s Guide trilogy of six books. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/86 "2012-04-01T01:21:41Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > I think **Yakuza** is the only reason for this proposed rule. I did not have that gentleman in mind. I had a departed poster in mind, as well as an assortment of newbies. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/87 "2012-04-01T02:54:31Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > And let’s not forget banning prepositions that sentences end with. And sentence fragments. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/88 "2012-04-01T03:12:29Z")
And one word sentences. Really. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/89 "2012-04-01T03:38:25Z")
Not! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/90 "2012-04-01T05:02:39Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I appreciate textspeak; it helps me to quickly identify idiots and 16-year olds so I can disregard their posts accordingly. I had a fellow teacher bring his class to visit my classroom, and I clued them in that Bluetooth earpieces are handy, because before they were invented, we had to hang out with people before we discovered they were Douchebags. All the kids laughed and turned to point at their teacher. Yes, I’d noticed that the teacher was rocking’ his Jawbone Bluetooth Earpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/91 "2012-04-01T20:02:33Z")
I blame teenagers! With their sock hops and who knows what ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/92 "2012-04-01T20:07:58Z")
I blame Korn ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/93 "2012-04-01T23:02:17Z")
I, for one, am okay with manditory corn. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/94 "2012-04-02T15:34:49Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I blame the phenomenon of Textspeak on the end of teaching cursive in school. It’s a slippery slope. Well, since the advent of the curse filters, all the cursing I learned in school was for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/95 "2012-04-02T16:04:26Z")
Bloody stupid idea that doesn’t even warrant consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/96 "2012-04-02T17:19:42Z")
Relying on public shaming strikes against the general prohibition on Junior Modding. That the generalized backlash exists–along with the universal lack of textspeak and general capitalization of the Boards–supports the notion that someone continuing to do so in face of public suggestion not to is violating the ‘don’t be a jerk’ rule. That there _is_ some line between textspeak and various contrivances (e.g. Snowbarder Bo’s quarry shtick) that annoy most, but not all, of board members is exactly why the mods should step in and make the judgement call. Leaving it to Board members leads to confrontations with potential members who don’t necessarily recognize the ‘authority’ of other guests. If they refuse to listen to basic mod instructions–if they _persist_ in not following mod instructions, this solves later issues before they become a problem. The idea that the predominant dyspepsia with textspeak and absence of capitals is tantamount to some call for banning abbreviations or lack of spelling is fucking absurd. Yakuza isn’t unique. There is enough of an influx of occasional poster to ask the mods: \*\* When someone starts posting here using textspeak or failing to capitalize anything–and it’s clear that it’s intentional rather than ESL, blah blah obvious-fucking-disclaimers–would you please avoid the hassle of making the judgement call, back-and-forth, and all the other annoyances that accompany such juvenile posting habits? Would you use your judgement and once it’s obvious it’s a pattern drop a [mod note] into a thread saying that textspeak is generally frowned up here?\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/97 "2012-04-02T17:59:23Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Relying on public shaming strikes against the general prohibition on Junior Modding. It’s only Junior Modding if someone who is not a mod is trying to enforce board rules. > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Yakuza isn’t unique. There is enough of an influx of occasional poster to ask the mods: > \*\* > When someone starts posting here using textspeak or failing to capitalize anything–and it’s clear that it’s intentional rather than ESL, blah blah obvious-fucking-disclaimers–would you please avoid the hassle of making the judgement call, back-and-forth, and all the other annoyances that accompany such juvenile posting habits? Would you use your judgement and once it’s obvious it’s a pattern drop a [mod note] into a thread saying that textspeak is generally frowned up here?\*\* Oh, so now you want the board’s purpose be to not only fight ignorance, but to fight immaturity? To force people to comply with things you think of as social norms, because some things are too “juvenile” for “real adults” or for “real adult discourse”? Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! I’m with **amanset** on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/98 "2012-04-02T18:00:19Z")
I don’t think the mods would ever come down on a poster for saying to a text-speak using newbie "hey, you’ll get more respect here if you use capitals and say ‘to’ instead of ‘2.’ " That kind of gentle advice has never drawn warning for junior modding. Junior modding would be “Don’t use textspeak!” (Can I say newbie, BTW? Is that going to get the grandpas out with double barreled shotguns loaded with rock salt. How about BTW?) In any event it’s very rare, shouldn’t be annoying in small doses, and this board doesn’t need any more rules. If a poster is incomprehensible, maybe the mods could give them a note, but the best solution is just to ignore him. If a poster uses 2 instead of to sometimes, what fucking difference does it make? Your annoyance is on you, not them. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293/99 "2012-04-02T18:43:41Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Relying on public shaming strikes against the general prohibition on Junior Modding. If it really bothers you so much, and you are worried about being labeled as a junior mod, then report the post and let the mods deal with it on a case-by-case basis. There is no need for a general rule. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-no-textspeak-capitals-are-mandatory/617293.md?page=4)