[QUOTE=Sir Dirx]
What about the other characters that require the shift key? Caps Lock doesn’t turn “1” into “!”. So, if they use shift for those, why not for capital letters? That’s what’s not making sense to me.
[/QUOTE]
Actually, I think that’s exactly the problem (with some folks anyway) - they’re not mentally connecting the Shift function with capitals - Shift is what gets you the alternate symbol on all those other non-alpha keys, Caps Lock is what gets you capital letters.
[QUOTE=Zsofia]
I can’t bear the German/Victorian people either. The ones who Capitalize Words either because they’re Important or because the writer gets Bored or something.
[/QUOTE]
I call that “Pooh case,” from Winnie the Pooh.
Sailboat
Most are more reverent than they are educated, and tend to capitalize words they feel are worthy of reverence, often relating to institutions like the Church, the Military, or the Family.
I’m a decent touch typist (I can talk and type at the same time) who learned to type on a manual typewriter. I started using cap-lock instead of shift because it’s faster. I can hit three keys more quickly than I can hold-and-hit.
Most computers can be set to play a sound when cap-lock is turned on or off, so I know if I miss and hit Tab or Shift instead.
It’s faster, easier, and leaves less opportunity for error.
[I also use google instead of a dictionary to check spelling.]
I used to be able to type 65 wpm on a standard Royal typewriter (non-electric, just in case I need to say that). Mind you, the 65 wpm were 65 perfect words. Every error on the typing test knocked 10 wpm off your score. I am still impressed by anyone who can type 90 - 100 wpm on a computer keyboard. I’m a very fast typist, but maybe not that fast.
Why I needed to be able to do it when I never bloody typed once in my first job, I’ll never know.
And, weird, I just realized that I rarely use the right shift key. Hm.
I occasionally capitalize Important words, too.
Just for fun, tho.
[QUOTE=Mangetout]
If you see that in a thread here, it means they typed the whole lot in caps and the board software changed it to Proper Case.
[/QUOTE]
Wait, they have software that does that? Because I, ummm, ill-advisedly typed a long letter in all caps because I generally print in all caps when I handwrite a letter, but for long ones it winds up being too painful to handprint. I must say, the effect when typed is completely different from written – IT WINDS UP LOOKING IMPERSONAL AND EXCLAMATORY!
[QUOTE=j666]
I’m a decent touch typist (I can talk and type at the same time) who learned to type on a manual typewriter. I started using cap-lock instead of shift because it’s faster. I can hit three keys more quickly than I can hold-and-hit.
[/QUOTE]
Wow, that’s pretty good. My hat’s off to you.
[QUOTE=jjimm]
I have to confess, I just realised I only ever use the left shift key. Don’t even know how/when I would ever use the right-hand one. Anyone suffer from this affliction too?
[/QUOTE]
Yep. I also only use the left ctrl & alt keys, too.
Caps Is Cruise Control For Cool!!!1111
[QUOTE=brujaja]
Wait, they have software that does that? Because I, ummm, ill-advisedly typed a long letter in all caps because I generally print in all caps when I handwrite a letter, but for long ones it winds up being too painful to handprint. I must say, the effect when typed is completely different from written – IT WINDS UP LOOKING IMPERSONAL AND EXCLAMATORY!
[/QUOTE]
You can convert text that way in Excel - type or paste the text into (say) cell A1, then in another cell, enter the formula =Proper(A1) And All Your Previously All Caps Text Will Come Out Like This.
Then you can use Copy and Paste Special(Values) to get the altered text back.
Probably more useful to use =Lower(A1) to convert it entirely to lower case, then restore the necessary caps by hand afterwards.
Easier to go in Word, select the text, then go to “Change case…” in the “Format” menu. The “Title Case” option capitalizes the first letter of every word, the “Sentence case.” option capitalizes the first letter of each sentence.
I’ve turned my CapsLock off, because I keep accidentally hitting it. Horrible key.
Mangetout, once again, you rock! I really thought I was SOL with that letter. Thank you.
P.S. Dusty, good advice as well! And I actually have both programs, amazing.
My dad types in all caps because he says his eyes are bad and he can’t read it otherwise. I tell him we invented lower case because upper case is hard to read. I mean, I don’t want to tell him what he can and can’t see, but this is also the man who writes letters in Excel because “I know how to use it.” I mean, all of a sudden. He knew how to use Word for years (and, like, how to use a typewriter, which is essentially the same thing, right?) but suddenly he just got it in his head that he was more comfortable in Excel. (No, his mind is fine.)
Have you ever tried to edit a letter somebody has written in Excel?
Maybe that is why they use all caps. It makes the letters on the screen look like the ones on the keyboard.
I have found that people with poor ‘near’ vision plus poor typing skills tend to us all caps more often…
YMMV
[QUOTE=Belrix]
I’ll type an ALL-CAPS word by holding the shit-key
[/QUOTE]
I use Poop Lock myself.
Is ‘Insert’ the shit-key?
[QUOTE=GorillaMan]
Is ‘Insert’ the shit-key?
[/QUOTE]
Why, yes. Yes it is.
[QUOTE=Mikemike2]
No. I actually committ the other crime of using the shift keys to write out complete words with capital letters. It is not the most efficient way of doing things, but at least I don’t come back to the horror of having forgetten to turn the caps lock key off.
[/QUOTE]
I do this, too. It just doesn’t occur to me to use the CapsLock when it’s so easy just to park my pinky on the shift key for a minute.