# What the hell is up with the Caps Lock people? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 11, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161 "2008-02-11T16:38:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/61 "2008-02-12T21:36:46Z")
It’s amazing what people can miss. A lady I know has been using Windows PCs in her job for 15 years, doing accounting and using email and composing the office newsletter every month. In fact, for the first 10 of those years she was considered the PC expert in the office (admittedly a pretty small office). She also spends hours a day on a hobby that uses a Windows PC. So, last month, she excitedly said she had to show me something on her PC. With me watching, she selected a few words of text, typed Control-C, put the cursor someplace else, said “Now watch this, you’re not going to believe it”, and typed Control-V, pasting a copy of the text into the new spot. And that was it. She’s never heard of this before (nor any of the other Windows functions like X to cut, P to print, A to select all, S to save…) ---
**Author:** ![Username1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ee59a6/32.png) [@Username1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Username1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/62 "2016-04-13T12:43:35Z")
You are all “wtf” with people using caps lock. In fact, I use it all the time. One valid point I see here is if PEOPLE TYPE IN CAPS LOCK AND FORGET TO TURN IT OFF. But it is just very easy and caps lock feels like any other typing key that you just press on and off and it just makes for a convenience. When typing really fast, having to stop just to hold down the key can happen often and is very annoying, like a Youtube video that buffers every 5 seconds. Sure, we use shift if we need it, like when we type special characters, but what is so retarded about simply doing things a fast way? I’m only a kid now, but I think caps lock will benefit me in the future when I’m at work or in college and suppose have to type an essay. Sure, it’s not much to the words per minute, but in the long run it can help. We people haven’t been dropped on the heads, obviously. We just like to see caps lock is a convenience when it’s used correctly. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/63 "2016-04-13T13:11:27Z")
Now you need to work on the space bar. it’s the long thing, bottom middle. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/64 "2016-04-13T13:15:20Z")
This is actually funny, resurrected after about 8 years. Now, on my tablet, I have an Android keyboard, in which caps lock on and off is the only way to make a cap. There is no hold-down caps key. I’ve been a touch-typist on a standard keyboard for more than 60 years, and with small devices, I’ve had to struggle with the learning curve of two-finger (actually two-thumb) typing. Including caps lock. Young users with portable devices don’t even know that there is such a thing as a hold-down-once caps key on a standard keyboard, which they’ve never even seen up close. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/65 "2016-04-13T16:31:18Z")
Mavis Bacon teaches zombie typing! I’m just trying to figure how using caps lock would be beneficial in typing an essay. It certainly doesn’t help me in the corporate world. It’s by far the cleanest key on my keyboard. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/66 "2016-04-13T16:38:22Z")
I"m helping! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/67 "2016-04-13T16:45:22Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Now you need to work on the space bar. > it’s the long thing, bottom middle. His/her command of space bar seems OK. It’s that \ thingy for making paragraph breaks that seems broken. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/68 "2016-04-13T17:10:00Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > It’s by far the cleanest key on my keyboard. 😃 The cleanest key on my keyboard is the one to the left of the numeral 1,which has two diacritical marks that go above letters, but are impossible to superimpose on the letter they modify. So it is impossible to use them in their proper context, and are just wasted keys. Which could be used for the symbols for “degree” and “euro” which are not on the keyboard. I’ve never touched he “insert” key, either. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/69 "2016-04-13T18:00:20Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > IMO if a child hasn’t learnt the difference between upper and lower case correctly, then _forget_ doing so at a keyboard, where every key features the upper case character but creates the lower case one :smack: I blame not teaching cursive. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/70 "2016-04-13T18:13:49Z")
Its high time we get rid of caps lock and just let people have the same function by double pressing the shift key. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/71 "2016-04-13T18:19:27Z")
Never mind. Misunderstood. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/72 "2016-04-13T18:32:47Z")
This feels relevant: [http://www.noaa.gov/national-weather-service-will-stop-using-all-caps-its-forecasts](http://www.noaa.gov/national-weather-service-will-stop-using-all-caps-its-forecasts) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/73 "2016-04-13T18:55:00Z")
Well, it’s been almost 10 years but I stand by this. Those people still drive me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/74 "2016-04-13T19:52:33Z")
There is one poster here that is hard of hearing. I use solid caps only for her. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/75 "2016-04-13T20:03:56Z")
The original computer terminal users on mainframes only used caps. The caps lock was always on. I wrote dozens of COBOL programs in caps. All our data entry for the entire university was in caps. The line printer’s print band in the operations center only supported caps. I was told mixed case print bands were more expensive and slowed down the line printer. They often printed a couple boxes of green bar reports every night. Speed was essential. It was only with the introduction of pc’s and attached dot matrix printers that people started using mixed case. Then we got email and people wanted messages in mixed case. Soon people bitched and moaned if you messaged them in caps. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/76 "2016-04-13T20:13:41Z")
Anyway, the caps lock had a very valuable use for mainframe users on terminals in the 70’s and early 80’s. My shop had dated equipment and no budgetary funds to replace it. We didn’t switch to pc’s and mixed case until the late 80’s. I was thrilled to see that old equipment get changed out. Operations still use wide green bar on the line printer until the mid 90’s. By then the staff in the offices had inkjet and even laser printers. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/77 "2016-04-13T20:24:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It was only with the introduction of pc’s and attached dot matrix printers that people started using mixed case. That may have been true where you worked but not everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/78 "2016-04-13T20:28:26Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > There is one poster here that is hard of hearing. > > I use solid caps only for her. That is very thoughtful of you. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/79 "2016-04-13T20:31:34Z")
I’m only relating to data operations at my old job in the 80’s and 90’s. Our user forms wouldn’t even allow data input in mixed case. All data in the database was in caps. I know because I wrote the conversion programs to change the data in payroll when we migrated to a new Vax and software. Other programmers in the shop converted student records, AR and accounting. What staff used on their pc’s word processing or in spreadsheets was separate from us. We were focused on data processing operations and that was done in Caps until the very late 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161/80 "2016-04-14T02:29:19Z")
I’ve stopped all that business of typing like this - nOW iS tHE tIME fOR aLL gOOD mEN tO cOME tO tHE aID oF tHEIR cOUNTRY - by dissabling the caps lock key. The following site has a program to do this. You have to make some registry changes, but the software gives the exact things to type into the registry, and makes it a piece of cake. Have been using it for almost a year now with nO pROBLEMS! [URL=“[Avoid typos: Disable the Caps Lock key | PCWorld](http://www.pcworld.com/article/2690707/avoid-typos-disable-the-caps-lock-key.html)”] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-caps-lock-people/437161.md?page=5)