Thank you all very much for your comments. Even the ones from those of you who DO think any capitalized words means that one is shouting. The consensus is that most normal people understand that I am just EMPHASIZING a word or making a point. Which IS my point exactly when I do capitalize words.
One comment was sent to me via email; and it sums things up nicely, so I’d like to share it:
Loved your capitalization blog. Seriously how old are we twelve? We are not yelling for goodness sake, no one will ever feel threatened by a few capital letters, or be belittled by fonts, type size or any colors you might choose to use. In the very off-chance they are offended by the big bad letters, maybe they should just speak to people face to face that way if there is yelling to be done they won’t be confused if its meant or just a typo. Thanks for soapboxing its just so SILLY
Lisa
Those of you who seem stuck in the fifth grade mentality that ANY capitalized word is meant to be shouting AT YOU, need to just grow up! It’s really not ‘all about you’. Seriously, if I corrected the grammar of everything I read; blogs, convos, emails, reader comments . . .I wouldn’t have time left to even write this blog. And trust me, poor grammar grates against me like fingernails on a chalkboard! I correct people on TV (while I watch) all the time. SHOUTING (yes, this time really shouting!) the proper way to say what they spewed out.
When my son was just learning to talk, I really emphasized ‘proper English’. Yes, I would stop whatever I was doing if he was speaking to me, and when he was done with his story I would explain to him the proper English way to say what he just said. I didn’t need to do it very often, after all he LEARNED what he HEARD, and at that age he mostly heard me.
The improper use of tenses usually came from him hearing another kid say it that way; as in “I seen a dog in our yard.” I would say to him, “Actually the proper way to say that is, ‘I SAW a dog in our yard.” OH, if you only KNEW how much that very mis-use of grammar gets my hackles up!!! And yet I see it quite regularly, in other blogs and on internet discussion forums. And no, I do NOT correct those people. It’s none of MY business how they were taught to speak. I honestly don’t understand how people who speak like that (and they DO believe it’s the right way to use the word!) ever made it through high school?!?!? Still, it’s not MY BUSINESS to point out their mistake NOR correct them.
But seriously, if I had the power to change one thing about how people talk or write, it would be to eliminate the improper use of the tenses of verbs.
I live a fairly secluded life these days; don’t get out in the world much anymore. Grocery and thrift shopping, stocking my booth at Stars and the post office is about IT for me. And I honestly don’t KNOW if I am ‘losing touch with society’ when I get these off the wall comments regarding my work and communication. So, when I get a complaint about my blog; like the spelling this or this more recent one from the ‘capitalization Police’; I seriously wonder if I really AM doing something wrong or offensive?!?!? I very much appreciate everyone’s input and perspective when it comes to such things. Sometimes I honestly wonder if I am just LOSING IT?!?!
There will always be SOMEONE who will delight in picking apart anything anyone else says or does. THOSE people are not worth worrying about. I guess what I really want to say is just, Thank you all for your input AND support! And for letting me know that I am NOT the crazy one in this equation! But I hope you will care enough to let me know if I ever DO overstep a line. I ‘just start to wonder a bit’ when I get comments like those, more than once!
Thanks for keeping me grounded in reality. I appreciate your support.
Stepping OFF my soapbox now; hopefully for a good long while!
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