Why do some AB's never seem to want to turn Cap's Lock off? What is a nice way of asking them to do so?

Slightly Less has eliminated the problem entirely by refusing to use capital letters at all, regardless of whether they should have been used or not.

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by Randy D on November 22nd, 2009

and you just used capital letters incorrectly on my name, so congratulations for that

I do generally use capitals, though I tend to find it less important than punctuation, proper spelling, and spacing in terms of being understood when I write informally. And yes, I consider most forum postings to be informal. However, even when I'm not using capitalization in a post, I always use capitalization when it changes the meaning of a word, for example, Capital and capital.

I've had no complaints when I don't bother to use capital letters. No one has said that it makes my answer harder to read or understand. If they had, I would make an effort to use them more often. And at least I didn't write a one and a half line answer where I managed to miscapitalize.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 22nd, 2009

Slightly Less (yes, I know I added a capital where you did not place one in your screen-name, and I also shortened it), when I pointed out that you hadn't used any capital letters, that's all I was doing; merely pointing it out. I was not saying you were right or wrong, I was only saying that I noticed it.
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It was not miscapitalized (is that even a word?), it was intentioally typed that way. Yes, i know you write it differently, you're entitled to do so, just as I'm entitled to write it as I have. If it were a proper name as opposed to an internet screen-name, such as Gerhard von Wormer, I would adhere to rules. Intentional, not mistakenly written.
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Thank you for the feedback, enjoy your time on AB, and please have a good day.

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by Randy D on November 22nd, 2009

I just caught my mistakes in the above comment; in spelling "intentionally" and in failing to capitalize "I" (how ironic); the system did not allow the 'Edit' option, so I am pointing them out myself.

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by Randy D on November 22nd, 2009

And it's fairly presumptuous to decide that because a name is "just" a screen name, you can change it in whatever way you want. It's not a proper name, it's an internet name, and therefore, there are no rules.

You also realize that you have no way of knowing that it isn't my proper name. It's most likely not, but it could be.

Let's go on the assumption that my screen name, and most screen names you encounter are not "proper", real-world names. That means that no rules apply to them? That if someone's name is CaTCh00rZ, you can call them, catcH00Rz, because the capitalization doesn't mean anything? It's one thing to use no capitalization at all. It's another to use all caps. But the thing they both have in common is that they are not assuming entitlement to change a name, they are just being different forms of informal, and depending upon your opinion of the matter, rude.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 22nd, 2009

Calling someone by a shortened version of their name, not the full screen name, or "proper" name, that's also generally understood if the cutoff is at a reasonable point. If you only have so many characters, or someone has a long name, it's understood, acceptable. People generally aren't referred to by their full name in real life, people use just first names, or nicknames, and the same has become an acceptable practice online.

But having the temerity to decide that you are entitled to write someone's name differently than it really is, just because it's an online name, is ludicrous. If you're going to refer to me by name, and it's not necessary, I haven't referred to you by name once, use my full name, or Slightly, and don't change the spelling, capitalization or anything else, because you think you're entitled to. If you don't capitalize anything in your post and therefore my name isn't either, I won't take it personally. But this bullcrap, I do.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 22nd, 2009

For the record, capitalization is word, screen name isn't hyphenated, it's two separate words, and you screwed up my name again. If it was a "choice", it was a really bad one.

And for the record, you are entitled to make bad choices. I don't recommend it though. Having enough respect for people to use their actual names and not change them because you're entitled and feel like it...it might just be a good thing.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 22nd, 2009

I'm aware that "capitalization" is a word; I was referring to your coining of "miscapitalization". Slightly Less is NOT your name, not in any way, shape or form; it's OBviously a screen-name. As for my having shortened it, dry your eyes, it's not detrimental to your health.
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When responding to comments, to avoid confusion as to who I am addressing, I use a part of their screen name. It's unnecessary to use the whole name. Internet "rules" are vague & varied, and they usually go against conventional teachings. If you don't like it, stop making a federal case of it and it will stop bothering you. I, however, will not stop bothering you.
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I see you haven't even acknowledged that you were mistaken in assuming that I was "out to get you" in my original comment, a fact that I clarified as to dissuade this viteral. Since you choose to continue, I'm with you every step of the way.
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You will eventually concede, as they all do. Volley and serve, the ball is now in your court.

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by Randy D on November 23rd, 2009

I didn't coin miscapitalization, it's a word, look it up.

You don't know my name, and while Slightly less anonymous is most likely my screen name, you don't know that it's not a real life name. I know people who have changed their names to stupider things. There's a big difference between most likely, seemingly obvious and actually knowing. Here, you don't know squat. If you continue on insisting that you know that you do, than please, go ahead and reveal my full legal name, and everything else you know about my identification.

I wasn't referring to the vague and varied "internet rules", I was referring to your not being enough of an egotistical jackass to assume that you can do whatever you want with someone else's name because it isn't "real." If you want to ignore my wishes and refer to me as "Slightly less", that's annoying. Continuing to purposefully misspell my name because you want to, that's being a jackass.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 23rd, 2009

I never assumed you were "out to get me" in your original comment. I don't know what you were attempting to do with your original comment. If it was to point something out to me, then you missed, because you referred to me in the third person. If it was to point out something to anyone who might read my answer, good job.

Generally, when out to get someone it starts with direct contact with them, which you avoided with the whole third person thing. My original response was to expound and clarify my answer and yes, I pointed out how you used my name. My responses have continued to be to clarify, expound upon something or to correct things.

There are only two individuals on this comment thread, so there's no need to clear up confusion as to whom you are addressing. And considering you first used my name in the third person, you weren't using it to clear up confusion as to whom you were addressing as you weren't addressing the person who's name you used.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 23rd, 2009

I will eventually concede? To what? You've jumped about from point to point, being a general ass, as your bio warns people you are apt to do--what point do you expect me to concede?

As they all do? And to think I went on about your temerity, rudeness, etc, going out of the way to avoid pointing out you had an ego problem before ever reading your bio and before you started to act like even more of a self-entitled loon. Get over yourself. I know, you're big and important and well-informed and you can argue with the best of them and everyone falls and eventually admits your right. It must be fun living in your head--there's certainly enough room. Get over yourself. If you have anything on actual topic, go ahead. If not, shut up, pretend you won and go fight with someone who gives a flying fuck.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 23rd, 2009

You're good at calling names, THAT'S real mature. Losing our cool, are we? Once you cross that threshold, you lose the entire game! You didn't fall into my trap, did you? Anger is one thing, but controlled anger is quite another. Haa haa haa haaa!!
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Is it your message that it bothers you to be referred to as "Slightly Less"? (Capitalization intentionally placed.) Then why don't you merely say so? You haven't even given me the opportunity as a gentleman to correct my "wrongdoing". Let's go with that. You let me know if that's all it would take to make you feel better, and then we'll see, ok?
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Slightly Less is NOT your real or legal name. I do not KNOW your real and legal name, nor did I say I did. Slightly Less, however, is not it. As for others having changed theirs to stupider things, YOU are more intelligent than to have done that.
I DO know that this is not your name. I insist. No, I don't have proof, just as you have no proof that it is your name.

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by Randy D on November 23rd, 2009

OK....your whole first paragraph, wtf? I didn't call you, personally anything, not unless I used grammar badly--I talked about your actions, and yes, I used names there. I didn't lose my cool, but since you hadn't responded to my saying the same things without the more inflammatory words, simply ignored what I said and moved on, I thought you might pay attention. And you did, but only to some of it. I'm not playing a stupid game with you, if that's what you think this is about, go and buy a box of checkers. You're getting to be more than annoying. Falling into your trap? Evil laugh? Are you trying to sound like a disturbed movie villain?

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 23rd, 2009

And my point was and has been that you shouldn't treat internet names like you're entitled to play with them, change them. You can--there's nothing I can do to stop you, but there's nothing I can do to stop you when typing proper names online either. I can't flag or DG a comment just because you're acting like an over-entitled ass. Your not entitled, you don't have some right to change any one else's name, no matter what kind of name it is.

And I made this point earlier, politely. And I specifically addressed how I would prefer to be addressed, politely:
"If you're going to refer to me by name...use my full name, or Slightly, and don't change the spelling, capitalization or anything else, because you think you're entitled to."

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 23rd, 2009

Did you want me to add a please? I wasn't going to. You've been rude since comment one where you addressed me in the third person, chose to alter my name, and chose to shorten my name in a way that was offensive. You continued to be rude, and in the next comment, instead of saying that you had purposefully changed my name and that that hadn't been a mistake, you went ahead and altered my name again, after I'd already pointed it out, after it already clearly annoyed me. Was there any point to it? No.

I've made my point about changing names more than once, addressed my name specifically at least once and you've ignored me. Having an opportunity as a gentlemen? You've had several. Here's another, let's see if you take it.

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 23rd, 2009

The point about I made about legal names, is there is a difference between believing something and knowing something for a fact. If you were in court testifying and you were asked if my legal name was the same as my online name, you'd have to say that you didn't know. You don't know my legal name, and so you don't know for a certainty that it isn't the same as my online name. You can say it all you want, but if there was someone with a gun at your head asking if you were willing to bet your life that my online name wasn't my real life name, I'd hope that you wouldn't be stupid enough to say, "no, I don't KNOW." The point I was making was that you don't KNOW. You don't know, not for a fact. Repeating over and over that you do, what's the point? You just sound foolish. And while I appreciate the sentiment that I'm not stupid enough to have changed my name to "Slightly less anonymous" insisting on it when you don't know, is like running into a wall over and over again with no purpose. Why bother?

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by Slightly less anonymous on November 23rd, 2009

So glad to get back to you, Slightly Less, ol' boy, sorry for the delay since the workweek began anew. I have so much more time on the weekends to devote to frivolity such as that which you represent to me.
We have so much ground to cover. Forgive me for the order in which I have chosen to respond; you present such a veritable smorgasbord that I have to pick and choose.
I seem to have set you off; you've gone from name-calling to profanity, I suppose the next step is physical displays of anger to exert your frustration? What'll it be, smashing your computer screen with a blunt object, or throwing the hard-drive out the window? Whatever you do, please don't smack Mrs Slightly Less (if there is one) or slap the kids around. They don't deserve you taking your anger out on them. I'M your focus.
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I'll admit I'm confused, puzzled & intrigued that out of all of this, you take personally how an invented, purely arbitrary screen-name is written, and your ridiculous stance . . .

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