All caps -- can a rule be made?

Hi all -

On another board I frequent, thread titles using all capital letters (and usually post/responses too) are considered against the rules. I didnt find anything via searching (though I didn't have as much time as normal to do a thorough search) and was wondering if it's ever been considered to make it against the rules to disallow the use of all caps in thread titles, etc.

The reason is fairly simple -- it's unprofessional, and I actually find it annoying to read titles (and entire posts) in all caps. Also, dont get me started about posts that (over)use punctuation marks in titles, etc, as I can only wage one battle at a time, but not surprisingly, I'm not a fan of that either.

FYI, this isnt a personal attack towards anyone that has done so lately, just an actual suggestion for review.

Thanks!
-MB

No more new rules please, I like it as it is...

Mistabernie wrote in post #12304751
...and I actually find it annoying to read titles (and entire posts) in all caps.
-MB

Then don't read them. What's even more unprofessional is those who type in "text" lingo. If they start making rules for every little annoyance, this place would be horrible.

asysin2leads wrote in post #12308179
If they start making rules for every little annoyance, this place would be horrible.

Exactly. What annoys you doesn't annoy others, and vice-versa. If you accounted for everybody's annoyances, you would not be able to post.

Learn to overlook it because you may not know there is a reason behind it. A while back I did long-term online business with a gentleman who always emailed in all caps. When the subject finally came up, I found out he did so because he had lost an arm in an accident and was typing with one hand. He had no choice.

asysin2leads wrote in post #12308179
Then don't read them. What's even more unprofessional is those who type in "text" lingo. If they start making rules for every little annoyance, this place would be horrible.

So, how exactly do you not read a thread title in all caps when it kind of sits there glaring at you? Yeah, I agree, text lingo shouldn't be used either, but again, one thing at a time.

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #12308610
Exactly. What annoys you doesn't annoy others, and vice-versa. If you accounted for everybody's annoyances, you would not be able to post.

Learn to overlook it because you may not know there is a reason behind it. A while back I did long-term online business with a gentleman who always emailed in all caps. When the subject finally came up, I found out he did so because he had lost an arm in an accident and was typing with one hand. He had no choice.

All caps because of one arm? No offense or anything, but a friend of mine only has one arm and he doesn't type in all caps. Does having only one arm put the 'caps lock' button out of reach? If you were to say that you had a friend who was legally blind but could still technically 'see' and read (such as a couple of other friends of mine) and it helped them to see posts, then I think I'd agree more with something like that.

There have actually been studies that indicate that passages of text written in all caps are actually more strenuous and harder to read than those with either proper capitalization or no capitalization (I dont have the link(s) readily available, but I can try to locate them on request). Now, there are certain other things that I DO understand -- for example, I know someone that responds to all posts in bold. At first, I thought that was a bit annoying too, but she explained that it helps her with reading because she reads most sites off of RSS feeds on mobile devices.

I'm not saying that the mods need to swoop in and start swinging the banhammer because people are using all caps or too much punctuation in a title, and I'm not insinuating that the mods needs to create more rules and turn the forums into a prison mentality. I'm sorry if I offended people by trying to make a suggestion that could lead to the forums appearing more professional. I'll simply forward said suggestions straight to Pekka or Skip in the future.

Don't know what is unprofessional about it, but if it bothered me I would just scroll past it. I think that critique should be left for more important things like pictures not someone's way of typing...... sigh

I don't think we need a rule about it. It isn't that big an issue here. People who post threads in all caps are quickly put in their place by other posters....

Mistabernie wrote in post #12308812
I'll simply forward said suggestions straight to Pekka or Skip in the future.

Please just do what you did here. Pekka and the rest of the mod team will see it here. Maybe we do not respond to every single thread but that does not mean it goes by unnoticed.

As for the suggestion. I seriously doubt we want to make a rule for this because it is not that big an issue. If it ever become an issue then there migth be a software solution for it but a rule I doubt it.

Life is too short----get over it.
If reading something in all caps ruins your day, your day wasn't looking very promising anyway.

I don't like it either but it doesn't bother me (at least the title). If the entire post is in all caps I move on and don't read it.

Don't think this should be a rule.

Grammar/syntax errors aren't a big deal (and I wouldn't classify all caps as one). Obviously English isn't everybody's first language, and this is an international forum.

The sentiment seems to be A) that we dont need more rules or B) that it's not a widespread problem and there shouldn't need to be any action taken. No comment about A, but I can agree with B- it's not a widespread problem.

The one thing I'll say is that I'd rather have it be a rule than have people come in 'be put in place by other users'.

Mistabernie wrote in post #12309808
The sentiment seems to be A) that we dont need more rules or B) that it's not a widespread problem and there shouldn't need to be any action taken....

... and C) it's not that critical an issue and certainly not something to get upset about.

For years I've noticed an even wider-spread problem with grammar issues - things such as contractions (your / you're - its / it's, etc.). It's much more frequent than caps.

But when I read a post that uses "your" when it should have been "you're," I simply interpret it as I know it should have been written and move on. I certainly don't let it ruin my day.

It's annoying but I feel this place has plenty of rules as it is.

I don't believe this is an issue here, as I've read very many posts and can't recall seeing one in all caps

I have seen it happen elsewhere and it does annoy me and so I'm fairly certain I'd have noticed if it was occurring here. In any event, I'm not in favour of a ruling about it.

David

You're proposing we stop something that's been happening since the first keyboard came out?

NOT GONNA HAPPEN!