YAD KCOL SPAC

October 21, 2003 9:14 PM

OCTOBER 22 IS INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY!!!
EVERY YEAR WE GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SALMON FOR TOAST, EVERY YEAR WE GET A CROCKETY BLOAT, EVERY YEAR WE GET DRUNK ON THE DOCKS, AND EVERY YEAR WE HAVE SEX WITH OUR CAPS LOCKS!!!!
posted by quonsar (48 comments total)

uh, why is santa kicking the mcdonald's logo?
posted by PrinceValium at 9:18 PM on October 21, 2003

Lack of effort.

It was not coded with Caps-Lock on, instead an UPPERCASE Style Sheet was used.
posted by Stan Chin at 9:20 PM on October 21, 2003 [1 favorite]

that explains why most of the text reverted to lower case when i copied it. and here i thought i'd discovered matt's secret implementation of a slashdot-style CAPSLOCK filter.
posted by quonsar at 9:24 PM on October 21, 2003

BLINK YOUR CAPS LOCK LIGHT IF YOU SUPPORT METAFILTER.
posted by azazello at 9:25 PM on October 21, 2003

And AOL'ers everywhere rejoice
posted by Trik at 9:25 PM on October 21, 2003

I'm soooo not coming here tomorrow.

when is blink tag day?
posted by elwoodwiles at 9:26 PM on October 21, 2003

LOL
posted by amberglow at 9:28 PM on October 21, 2003 [1 favorite]

METATALK
posted by trondant at 9:28 PM on October 21, 2003

National Apathy Day is November 2nd.
posted by ZachsMind at 9:29 PM on October 21, 2003

I can't wait for IE users' Marquee Day.

posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:30 PM on October 21, 2003

"AT THE BOTTOM, WHERE IT SAY CASP LOCK"

Where's that key again?

And I love alsmon on toast. Even more than salmon.
;)

Thanks, quonsar. I laughed. It was good.
posted by sharpener at 9:30 PM on October 21, 2003

<img src="file://a:\omgomgomg.jpg" alt="omg omg omg" />
posted by TimeFactor at 9:40 PM on October 21, 2003

So does anyone know why new computer users (especially older ones) love to write email in ALL CAPS?

Do they think it is easier to read (it's not). Do they think it makes fonts look "bigger?"

I'm sure someone has done research, but I can almost guess how long distant family members have had their AOL account by the amount of use of caps in their messages.
posted by mathowie at 9:43 PM on October 21, 2003

I FIND THAT MOST OF THE "MAIL" I GET FROM NIGERIA AND OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES IS QUITE OFTEN WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS (CASP). IT REALLY GRABS MY ATTENTION!!
posted by sharpener at 9:45 PM on October 21, 2003

It gives me some sinister "THERE IS NO DISK INSERTED IN DRIVE A:" warning. Or is that part of the joke?
posted by Mayor Curley at 9:49 PM on October 21, 2003

"So does anyone know why new computer users (especially older ones) love to write email in ALL CAPS?"

Matt, it's not just new computer users. It drives me crazy to sit down at a terminal in our NOC and find that the day crew has left the caps lock on, and they've all got at least six years' experience.

I swear, if I worked at the Post Office...

Well, you get the idea.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:52 PM on October 21, 2003

It gives me some sinister "THERE IS NO DISK INSERTED IN DRIVE A:" warning

that's not sinister. sinister is "INSERT $250,000 IN DRIVE A: IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE DRIVE C: ALIVE AGAIN."
posted by quonsar at 9:56 PM on October 21, 2003 [1 favorite]

"So does anyone know why new computer users (especially older ones) love to write email in ALL CAPS?"

Back in my younger days (commodore 64/Q-Link era) I used to use caps lock because it was easier to read on my television, then I got a 1702 monitor and learned the error of my ways.

I work at an ISP and I see a lot of people who are just too lazy to use the shift key - It's either all UPPER or all lower case.
posted by Tenuki at 10:04 PM on October 21, 2003

src="file://a:\omgomgomg.jpg" alt="omg omg omg"

I like this.
posted by eddydamascene at 10:07 PM on October 21, 2003

I work at an ISP and I see a lot of people who are just too lazy to use the shift key - It's either all UPPER or all lower case.

I've seen the lower-case phenomenon beginning to occur with more frequency in Instant Messanging and E-mails. To someone who takes the time to capitalize "I", it grates me to see "i had a good day today" about as much as CAPSLOCK.
posted by Stan Chin at 10:08 PM on October 21, 2003

Stan: He thinks the site is quite the disgrace;
they don't use CAPS LOCK, but just a tag for UPPERCASE.

Sharpener: For CAPS LOCK day he doesn't give a damn,
but he's surely impressed with ALL CAPS in his spam.

Amberglow: It doesn't hurt for us all to recall:
The first all UPPERCASE word on the net was LOL.

Crash: BEFORE THE DAY SHIFT HITS THE TIME CLOCK
THEY SHOULD REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE CAPS LOCK.

Mathowie: On newbie habits he's decided to dwell;
he uses CAPS use to age accounts on AOL.

Stan II
(on preview):
Even in the midst of this CAPSLOCK hating,
he asserts lack of capitalization is as grating.
posted by troybob at 10:16 PM on October 21, 2003 [1 favorite]

ONE MORE RHYME FROM DAMN TROYBOB
AND SOMEONE GONNA SMACK HIS KNOB
posted by quonsar at 10:31 PM on October 21, 2003

I'm not stalled by your effort at intimidation;
I'm just getting warmed up again--I've been on vacation.
posted by troybob at 10:51 PM on October 21, 2003

wHY IS THIS LINK TRYING TO ACCESS MY FLOPPY DRIVE. i'M AFRAID.
posted by AstroGuy at 10:52 PM on October 21, 2003

the answer to that question has appeared no less than three times in the comments.
posted by quonsar at 11:19 PM on October 21, 2003

EVERYTHING IN LOWER CASE IS LIES, I TELL YOU!
posted by quonsar at 11:20 PM on October 21, 2003

Fun with browsers:
mr_crash_davis' marquee appeared, but subsequently blanked out the rest of the page in my copy of Firebird: only blank space was visible where the rest of the comments should have appeared. Reload, and the marquee tag didn't close properly (the whole of the page after his comment was scrolling). Reload ... working as expected. Reload ... blank.
It seems to render the blank variation the most.
Interesting...
posted by snarfodox at 1:40 AM on October 22, 2003

matt - I know that my dad uses CAPSLOCK because that's the way the computer systems at his employer (the railroad) require input.
posted by Irontom at 5:53 AM on October 22, 2003

I do data entry at a hospital and we have to use caps locks. It sucks. When it comes time to enter comments that print out on the reports, I alone rebel and turn off caps lock. I think it looks like shit printed out as well as on the screen.
posted by Apoch at 5:59 AM on October 22, 2003

mr_crash_davis' marquee appeared, but subsequently blanked out the rest of the page in my copy of Firebird

It works fine for me, leading me to wonder about his IE reference.
posted by rushmc at 6:00 AM on October 22, 2003

I AM SO HAPPY I COULD CRY
posted by briank at 6:25 AM on October 22, 2003

Im waiting for Total Lack of Puncuation Day Yes thats what Im looking forward to Cause if it was Total Lack of Punctuation Day then I could write like um this*

*Not to be confused with Bad Poetry Day
posted by tommasz at 6:29 AM on October 22, 2003

National Apathy Day is November 2nd.

Who cares?
posted by nickmark at 6:47 AM on October 22, 2003

anyone slaps my cock and i will kill them...
Oh
NEVER MIND....
posted by clavdivs at 8:01 AM on October 22, 2003

wheres e e cummings when you need him
posted by GrahamVM at 8:41 AM on October 22, 2003

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EYEBALLKID!
posted by angry modem at 8:46 AM on October 22, 2003

Now I'm all curious about what that MetaTalk was about.
posted by majcher at 8:53 AM on October 22, 2003

Y
A
Y
!
posted by eyeballkid at 8:55 AM on October 22, 2003

I hate you.
posted by GrahamVM at 9:00 AM on October 22, 2003

My employer recently discovered the joy of email. Prior to this discovery, he would have an underling check and then print out any important emails, and would subsequently dicate his replies. So, in many ways, I am very proud of him for learing the basics of Outlook and being willing to respond to his own emails.

HOWEVER!

He composes and replies to all emails in ALL CAPS. ALL THE TIME. I DO NOT KNOW WHY AND I AM UNCOMFORTABLE CORRECTING HIM FOR SOME REASON, SO I HAVE NOT, AS OF YET SAID ANYTHING.

I just imagine the people who read his emails cowering before their monitors, sobbing "Please stop yelling at me! I'll do what you ask! Just stop yelling!!"
posted by jennyb at 9:10 AM on October 22, 2003

for this stunt alone, #mefi needs to burn in hell.
posted by crunchland at 9:13 AM on October 22, 2003

IT'S ABOUT FUCKIN' TIME, BIOTCH!
posted by ph00dz at 9:18 AM on October 22, 2003

I use to have a boss at a highly respected company who would send out memos in all caps. In addition he was an atrocious speller. To say he spelled at a sixth grade level would be an insult to all the sixth graders out there. Naturally, the spell check ignored misspelled words in all caps.

And never mind the grammar: "ALL MANAGERS: THERE IS A LOT AT STEAK ON OUR FORTH-QUARTER NUMBERS"
posted by vito90 at 9:24 AM on October 22, 2003

Thatz knot nise vito, a lota smard peepel are louzee spelers.
posted by jonmc at 9:33 AM on October 22, 2003

LEFT PINKIE IS CALM
NO MORE SHIFT WORK FREE AT LAST
MINDS EAR IS DEAF THOUGH
posted by DaRiLo at 11:35 AM on October 22, 2003

When I see a webtv.com address in my inbox, I know the email will be a) in all caps, and b) from a retired WWII veteran.
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:11 PM on October 22, 2003

HAPPY CAPSLOCK DAY!omgomgomg
posted by eddydamascene at 3:41 PM on October 22, 2003 [2 favorites]

I hate you even more.
posted by GrahamVM at 2:37 AM on October 23, 2003