"New Rule" suggestion - don't shout

1Athena1

Mods,

I wonder if you could include, in the community rules, something that many other discussion forums have: Addressing someone directly via CAPS and especially BOLDED CAPS should be considered shouting and therefore harassment and abuse. There has been a string of accounts doing that for many months to many people and it is jarring and offensive, to say the least.

So CAPS are allowed - EVEN FOR EMPHASIS - but if I am making a declarative statement such as "WHY DON'T YOU GO AND POST SOMEWHERE ELSE" - can that be a violation? 

Many thanks for your consideration. 

hymil

There seem to be some people who only post in capitals, but don't seem to be trying to offend, I wonder if they are maybe sending their message from eg, a mobile phone or a teletype machine and not too sure how to get into lower case, maybe the technology is not easy for them? Goodness, it's not easy for many of us!

"WHY DON'T YOU GO AND POST SOMEWHERE ELSE"   is quite clearly in a different category though, and I think if I got to the point of wanting to write that, I should be turning off the computer and walking away, or at least using the <Ignore> button, and possible reporting the provoking post as I go, then the mods can have the fun job of finding out who is at fault, whether it really was offensive or if I was just being oversensitive.

Anonymous

Reminds me of my mother in her early Internet days - she's 85.  One day she was typing an email (misspellings and all) and she hit the cap key by mistake.  Right in the middle of her message she said "OH NO, I HIT THE WRONG KEY AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TURN IT OFF".

apple

the more rules you have, the more that can be broken.

i'm for civility and less going around trying to fix things.

PattyS

Nurse Ann.....that is such an adorable story about your mother. Really enjoyed it.

elimar86861

I don't even know what the rule are.  I'm serious.

I like using caps, italics, and BF type, but not to yell at anyone.

Talk about posting somewhere else...I've kicked my own self off a few threads.

Finally, apple has a new Franken-apple avatar.  I love it.

desdemona222b

I think there should be a rule against discussing Cheetos in any shape, form, or fashion.

AnnNYC

I second what Apple and Clyn said -- I don't think there needs to be a rule about this.

But if the Cheeto rule goes through, I'm in bi-i-i-i-i-g trouble!

Binney4

Some of our women with RIBP are typing one-handed, either all caps or all lower case (ditto for the women who have newly started lymphedema therapy and have their hands wrapped in gauze). Others don't see well and are doing whatever works. If some people are abusing the caps by purposely "shouting" we can each individually choose to ignore them. Making a rule about it imposes on women who are already stressed enough.

JMHO,
Binney

elimar86861

desdemona222b, that reference means nothing to most, but I get it, and I've seen them in many shapes and worn as fashion.  Har-har!

Inside jokes aside, rules are, at best, a poor substitute for self-control.

AnnNYC, you are my kind of snacker!

christine47

One of the ladies who occasionally posts on one of the threads I visit has vision issues, so she posts in caps.  She is not shouting, just can't see.

1Athena1

I'm surprised at the reactions. Most large discussion forums have these rules. Like all rules, they are interpreted with common sense. Of course if someone clearly can't see well or mistakenly puts caps and doesn't know how to correct (or is telling the punchline in a joke) most people will agree that it is not shouting. Common sense, folks. 

Bren-2007

I think just using common sense is a good idea.  I know there are a couple of gals on here that post with caps and bold .. just their way of typing ... some of the ladies are not as computer savvy as others about how to make the print larger, so they just type with capital letters.

I think we can all tell when someone is actually shouting with their bold and cap letters.

Bren

riley702

I'd rather each post were considered independently instead of a blanket rule. But if they do institute typing rules, I want one to outlaw ellipsis abuse!

AnnNYC

oh, no, riley!  First no mention of cheetohs....  then a ban on ellipsis abuse.... somebody's out to get me....

riley702

Hee hee! Not you so much as the ones completely incapable of normal punctuation. Like, sentence fragment..........half a sentence................small thought..............sentence fragment...............another fragment...........question...........wrap-up!!!!!!!!