8 Comments

Carl Scott
May 6th, 2011 | 3:25 pm

Oops…somehow italicized everyone.

So who looks like a moron now?

Carl Scott
May 6th, 2011 | 3:44 pm

Fixed it!

Foxfier
May 6th, 2011 | 4:28 pm

One is the shorthand for yelling; the other takes some effort in formating. See also: why do we consider those with their pants worn to display their underwear as tacky, but consider capris nicely feminine?

I also associate italics with quotes.

Mark Perkins
May 6th, 2011 | 4:36 pm

CAPS imply loudness. Italics imply emphasis.

This development was not inevitable, but it’s become pretty standard. If you don’t want to be seen as overbearing, don’t type in all caps. Same reason why you don’t sport a mullet if you want to be taken seriously.

Of course some of us, myself often included, find italics obnoxious and pedantic, though comparatively less so. You should be able to make your points clear and emphatic without having to beat your readers over the head. I think it can also come across as self-important–where you think your point is so damn world-rearranging that it must change the very nature of font itself.

My eyes glaze when I read people who use either excessively. I tend to suspect immediately that the emphasized points will be talking about SHADOW WORLD GOVERNMENTS or the truth that hides behind the powers the be. Boring.

Jarrett Cooper
May 6th, 2011 | 5:06 pm

Because it’s true. Kidding aside. There’s times within the same comment where it’s proper to use both all caps and italics.

I must say though, the people who use all caps for their entire comment (especially if it’s more than a paragraph) can be quite annoying. (It’s just more difficult to read.)

Brendan
May 6th, 2011 | 9:53 pm

I’ve always really enjoyed Peter Lawler’s judicious use of ALL CAPS.

Ariosto
May 8th, 2011 | 4:27 pm

It is unfortunate that n o o n e here uses the German alternative of e x t r a s p a c i n g for emphasis.

John Presnall
May 10th, 2011 | 12:00 am

ALL CAPS allegedly expresses emotion or importance or emphasis in the absence of the mot juste (btw, that French expression should be in italics :)).