# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**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, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/81 "2003-09-13T23:36:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. > \*\* And also with you. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/82 "2003-09-14T00:29:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by corndog man \* > **Some anal retentive person several years has stated that this was “yelling” or “screaming” and has deemed that this is rude. This is a silly rationale. How can reading someone’s message be considered a loud voice? Sounds schitzophrenic to me.** Well, it’s hard as hell to read and thus rude. I skip text in ALL CAPS except for when it’s just a few words for emphasis. I just don’t have time to strain and get a headache, sorry. Also, how damned lazy do you have to be to find tapping the shift key so difficult?? And yes, my “inner voice” does read it as SHOUTING FROM ACROSS THE ROOOOM. As for Peace Lady… I find it highly ironic that someone who insists that because _she_ doesn’t find it harder to read, that therefore it should be OK to do something that the vast majority of other people find hard to read… that _we_ should grow up. Oh it hurts! It hurts! ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/83 "2003-09-14T00:55:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Elemenopy \* > \*\*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. \*\* For just on the fly quick stuff, you can use this [http://fff.fathom.org/pages/opalcat/clean-caps.html](http://fff.fathom.org/pages/opalcat/clean-caps.html) It will reduce everything to lowercase, but going back and adding a few caps is easier than retyping. ---
**Author:** ![dobbinaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@dobbinaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dobbinaire)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/84 "2003-09-14T21:27:30Z")
The following is from a thread im MPSIMS . . . [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=210913](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=210913) tihs is relaly wreid sutff Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe. Funod tihs on athoenr baord…vrey cool. Let’s change the case . . . TIHS IS RELALY WREID SUTFF AOCCDRNIG TO A RSCHEEARCH AT AN ELINGSH UINERVTISY, IT DEOSN’T MTTAER IN WAHT OREDR THE LTTEERS IN A WROD ARE, THE OLNY IPRMOETNT TIHNG IS TAHT FRIST AND LSAT LTTEER IS AT THE RGHIT PCLAE. THE RSET CAN BE A TOATL MSES AND YOU CAN SITLL RAED IT WOUTHIT PORBELM. TIHS IS BCUSEAE WE DO NOT RAED ERVEY LTETER BY IT SLEF BUT THE WROD AS A WLOHE. FUNOD TIHS ON ATHOENR BAORD…VREY COOL. Which one is easier to read? IMHO, the first one is. At least a little bit easier, anyways. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/85 "2003-09-14T21:52:21Z")
That’s very interesting, **dobbinaire**. I had no problem reading the first one. The second is harder to read, even knowing what it says. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/86 "2003-09-15T07:53:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Atreyu \* > \*\*isntittruethatalongtimeagoinvariouseuropeanandmiddleeasternlanguagestherewerenocapitallettersandtherewerenospacesorparagraphsandhardlyanypunctuationatallimeanforheavenssakesomelanguageslikehebrewdidntevenhavevowelshowinthehellareyousupposedtokickbackandreadwhenthewriterclearlydoesntseemtohaveanyconsiderationforthereaderatall > \*\* mddlestrnlnggsdntusvrymnyvwlsethr! \* (\* “Middle Eastern languages don’t use very many vowels, either!” - I mean, even **I** couldn’t read my own stuff anymore!) :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Morrigoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Morrigoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrigoon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753/87 "2003-09-15T08:27:22Z")
Interesting thing currently on another board I read: > [@](#): > > Acocdrnig to an elgnsih unviesitry sutdy the oredr of letetrs in a wrod dosen’t mttaer, the olny thnig thta’s iopmrantt is that the frsit and lsat ltteer of eevry word is in the crcreot ptoision. The rset can be jmbueld and one is stlil able to raed the txet wiohtut dclftfuiiy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-caps-rude/200753.md?page=4)