# Why Are Caps Rude? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 10, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753 "2003-09-10T14:23:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/61 "2003-09-12T12:48:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Atreyu \* > \*\*isntittruethatalongtimeagoinvariouseuropeanandmiddleeasternlanguagestherewerenocapitallettersandtherewerenospacesorparagraphsandhardlyanypunctuationatallimeanforheavenssakesomelanguageslikehebrewdidntevenhavevowelshowinthehellareyousupposedtokickbackandreadwhenthewriterclearlydoesntseemtohaveanyconsiderationforthereaderatall > > Consideration. That’s the word I’m looking for, **corndog man**. A good writer shows consideration for the reader. Your failure to show consideration means that I’m just going skip right over any posts you make that are in all caps. It’s bloody annoying to read, besides. \*\* That’s amazing. Just as **Doebi** said, I swear that first paragraph was significantly easier to read than the same in all-caps. But, as has been said before, all caps sucks 'cause you can’t let your brain read “word shapes” (as all the characters are the same size.) With all-lowercase, you still retain all you word shapes and your comprehension is almost as fast as a properly capitalized sentence. If you’re going to be lazy, stick with all-lowercase. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/62 "2003-09-12T21:04:34Z")
weiner-whiners. Weiner-Whiners WEINER-WHINERS Each more elegant than the last. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/63 "2003-09-12T21:44:38Z")
What was that story about the time-travellers who go hunting for dinosaurs, and the one guy steps on a butterfly, and when they get back the world is altered? I think all the signs had this crazy style of writing on them. So **Mangetout** , I ask you: who stepped on your butterfly? ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/64 "2003-09-13T00:53:27Z")
You know, I’ve always wondered why legal contracts like software EULAs and ISP terms of service always contain big blocks of text in all caps, like this: Section IX: No Warranty THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITH NO WARRANTY, GUARANTEE, OR ASSERTION OF FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. GLOBAL TETRAHEDRON CORPORATION IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO PERFORM AS EXPECTED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PROFIT, CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE, OR “RECTUM? I DAMN NEAR KILLED EM”. YOU AGREE THAT THE SOFTWARE SHALL NOT BE USED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY LIFE SUPPORT DEVICE OR MISSION CRITICAL APPLICATION WITHOUT THE WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION OF GLOBAL TETRAHEDRON CORPORATION. THIS SECTION MAY BE LIMITED OR RENDERED VOID BY LOCAL LAWS IN YOUR JURISDICTION. Why do they write it in all caps, instead of using a more readable form of emphasis? Are they trying to make you skip over it? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/65 "2003-09-13T00:55:40Z")
01000001011011100110010000100000010010010010000001100010011001010111010000100000011101000110100001101001011100110010000001101001011100110010000001110100011010000110010100100000011011010110111101110011011101000010000001100001011011100110111001101111011110010110100101101110011001110010000001101111011001100010000001110100011010000110010101101101001000000110000101101100011011000010000100001101000010100000110100001010010000100100000101010111010000010100100001000001010010000100000101001000010000010100100001000001010010000100000100100001001000010010000100100001 ---
**Author:** ![DarkPrince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DarkPrince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkPrince)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/66 "2003-09-13T10:37:04Z")
t3h r34L quE57i0|| i5, r j0o 1337??!!?!!11!1one!!! ---
**Author:** ![Peace\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9adbd/32.png) [@Peace\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peace_Lady)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/67 "2003-09-13T14:56:52Z")
I AGREE WITH CORNDOG MAN, AND THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME FROM TYPING LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME IS BECAUSE I GOT TIRED OF ALL THE RUDE BACK-LASH FROM IT. ALSO, I DISAGREE WITH THE PERSON WHO SAID IT IS HARDER TO READ. FOR ME AT LEAST, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO READ. I MAY GO BACK TO IT, AND SAY FUCK-YOU TO WHOEVER DOESN’T LIKE IT. I THINK IT IS RUDE FOR VIRTUALLY EVERYONE TO COMMENT ON IT. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME TRYING TO “SHOUT”. IT’S THE INTERNET FOR CHRIST SAKE. GROW-UP PEOPLE. PEACE LADY ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/68 "2003-09-13T16:59:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gotpasswords \* > As bad as the board was on AOL, many years ago, at least AOL had twitfilters. > > Can we get twitfilters here? Every poster has his / her own personal twit filter located in the used control panel. You can add anyone who you consider a twit to a list there to hide their posts. \*\*N.B. - I am making no implications concerning any person in this thread. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/69 "2003-09-13T17:20:26Z")
So, **Peace Lady** it’s rude for us to say that ALL CAPS is hard to read, but it’s not rude for you to tell us too fuck off? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/70 "2003-09-13T17:21:27Z")
GAH! I can’t believe I did that. “for you _to_ fuck off?” ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/71 "2003-09-13T17:48:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Peace Lady \* > \*\*I AGREE WITH CORNDOG MAN, AND THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME FROM TYPING LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME IS BECAUSE I GOT TIRED OF ALL THE RUDE BACK-LASH FROM IT. > > ALSO, I DISAGREE WITH THE PERSON WHO SAID IT IS HARDER TO READ. FOR ME AT LEAST, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO READ. > > I MAY GO BACK TO IT, AND SAY FUCK-YOU TO WHOEVER DOESN’T LIKE IT. I THINK IT IS RUDE FOR VIRTUALLY EVERYONE TO COMMENT ON IT. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME TRYING TO “SHOUT”. IT’S THE INTERNET FOR CHRIST SAKE. GROW-UP PEOPLE. > > PEACE LADY \*\* I think it’s really rich that a post like this comes from someone styling herself “Peace Lady”. Amusing use of hyphens, too. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/72 "2003-09-13T17:51:30Z")
> [@](#): > > THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME FROM TYPING LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME IS BECAUSE I GOT TIRED OF ALL THE RUDE BACK-LASH FROM IT. > . . . > IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME TRYING TO “SHOUT”. IT’S THE INTERNET FOR CHRIST SAKE. As noted above, the internet, as with all forms of communication, has conventions and protocols. A rude action would be to continually flout those conventions. People who are being addressed rudely are liable to respond with rudeness. (Miss Manners disapproves of that action, but it is, regrettably, a human characteristic.) So the people whom you have accused of rudeness are simply responding to your rudeness. If you make a point of declaring “I choose to be rude!” and then carry out that threat, I am afraid that you will, indeed, be subjected to rude responses. Further, you may choose to not _believe_ that all caps is more difficult to read, but you will be kind enough to note that the claim is actually supported by evidence. Whatever your personal feeling on the topic, there are genuine facts to support the opposite position. (BTW, the internet was created to survive a war, not particularly for Christ’s sake.) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/73 "2003-09-13T19:07:40Z")
Hey, cut **Peace Lady** some slack, willya? She’s still at the stage of forwarding [Internet chain letters](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=208890) without checking them first at [Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com). Perhaps some day she’ll discover the benefits of critical thinking. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/74 "2003-09-13T19:49:10Z")
aCTUALLY, WHAT i really HATE IS WHEN i ACCIDENTALLY HAVE THE CAPS ON. tHEN i DON’T NOTICE UNTIL i’M ALL DONE TYPING. uSUALLY WHEN i AM TRANSCRIBING FROM A HARD COPY DOCUMENT AND DON’T LOOK UP FROM IT UNTIL i AM FINISHED. Is there a quick alt or ctrl function to reverse the above? There was a feature on my ancient stand-alone word processor in which you could highlight a block of text and reverse the case. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/75 "2003-09-13T20:15:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Is there a quick alt or ctrl function to reverse the above? There was a feature on my ancient stand-alone word processor in which you could highlight a block of text and reverse the case. Well, you can always C&P it to MS Word, then select Format =\> Change Case =\> tOGGLE cASE, then C&P it back. (I had a macro ot handle that in ISPF, but I doubt that you’re running SPF/PC or SPF/2 on your machine.) ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/76 "2003-09-13T20:33:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Peace Lady \* > \*\* > > I MAY GO BACK TO IT, AND SAY FUCK-YOU TO WHOEVER DOESN’T LIKE IT. I THINK IT IS RUDE FOR VIRTUALLY EVERYONE TO COMMENT ON IT. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME TRYING TO “SHOUT”. IT’S THE INTERNET FOR CHRIST SAKE. GROW-UP PEOPLE. > > PEACE LADY \*\* Well, Peace lady, I can only assume, then, that you are completely indifferent to whether or not anyone bothers to read what you post. If you are posting as a form of masturbation, then in fact it would be rude of us to allow our gaze to fall upon such a private act. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/77 "2003-09-13T22:29:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Man With The Golden Gun \* > \*\*iF yOu ThInK tHaT’s BaD tRy ReAdInG tHiS! \*\* ThE maSTeR doEs nOt aPPrOve oF bAd tyPiNG… ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/78 "2003-09-13T22:30:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Peace Lady \* > \*\*I AGREE WITH CORNDOG MAN, AND THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME FROM TYPING LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME IS BECAUSE I GOT TIRED OF ALL THE RUDE BACK-LASH FROM IT. > > ALSO, I DISAGREE WITH THE PERSON WHO SAID IT IS HARDER TO READ. FOR ME AT LEAST, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO READ. > > I MAY GO BACK TO IT, AND SAY FUCK-YOU TO WHOEVER DOESN’T LIKE IT. I THINK IT IS RUDE FOR VIRTUALLY EVERYONE TO COMMENT ON IT. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME TRYING TO “SHOUT”. IT’S THE INTERNET FOR CHRIST SAKE. GROW-UP PEOPLE. > > PEACE LADY \*\* V NTERR JUBYRURNEGRQYL, **CRNPR YNQL**. LBH’IR VAFCVERQ ZR. V JVYY ABJ FNL SHPX-LBH GB RIRELBAR JUB PBZCYNVAF JURA V GLCR VA EBG13. CRBCYR FNL VG’F UNEQ GB ERNQ OHG GURL NER FGHCVQ ONFGNEQF. SBE ZR NG YRNFG, VG’F ZHPU RNFVRE GB ERNQ. VG UNF ABGUVAT GB QB JVGU ZR GELVAT GB “GNYX VA PBQR” BE “UVQR NALGUVAT SEBZ NALOBQL” BE “ZNXR SHA BS LBH SBE GLCVAT VA NYY PNCF YVXR N 1960’F FGLYR GRYRGLCR ENL”. VG VF WHFG NABGURE NYCUNORG NAQ VG’F WHFG NF TBBQ NF GUR BAR RIRELBAR RYFR HFRF. WRFHF PUEVFG, CRBCYR, VG’F GUR VAGREARG. RIRELGUVAT TBRF BA GUR VAGREARG. LBH PNA’G GRYY ZR UBJ ABG GB GLCR HAYRFF LBH’ER N SNFPVFG. TEBJ HC! ZE2001 ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/79 "2003-09-13T22:44:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EddyTeddyFreddy \* > \*\*Perhaps some day she’ll discover the benefits of critical thinking. 😉 \*\* And perhaps someday pigs will sprout wings, Rush Limbaugh comes out of the closet, and Ann Coulter admits she was just kidding all along. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/80 "2003-09-13T23:33:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BraheSilver \* > **What was that story about the time-travellers who go hunting for dinosaurs, and the one guy steps on a butterfly, and when they get back the world is altered? I think all the signs had this crazy style of writing on them.** Thi staru wos collid ‘Temi Sofore’, byt thi longyogi wos mari o sempli chongi en thi ginirol derictean af phanitec letiroletu. Mu ynysyol pasteng stuli es jyst thi risylt af hoveng swoppid thi kiucops an mmu kiubaord, os e minteanid. [sub]The story was called ‘Time Safari’, but the language was more a simple change in the general direction of phonetic literality My unusual posting style is just the result of having swapped the keycaps on my keyboard, as I mentioned[/sub] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753.md?page=5)