this seems to bother quite a few people but the answer is that i’m just yapping and i don’t feel the need to add punctuation or capitalization when it isn’t necessary for meaning
I say this with all respect: on here, you write like you’re on tumblr. ten years on that platform so far, my favorite place on the internet- I know what I’m talking about
And see, there's a communicatively relevant use of capitalization!
(my phone automatically capitalizes the beginning of sentences and I usually don't feel strongly enough to fight it, but sometimes I'll do it just to mark something as ✨extra cazh✨...)
I thought that it was a sly condemnation of Our Fearless Leader, Captain Capslock himself, though, truly, he often uses our English Language with Stunningly Unconventional majuscule and minuscule (which Some People call Upper and Lower Case) Composition.
like it’s such a straightforward way to distinguish between ‘chatting at a bar’ and ‘Serious Business’ and I can’t help but side eye folks who refuse to get that
I had a friend who used to do the same thing because she said it was too much work. She stopped when I started sending her emails withnospacesbecausethey weretoomuchtroubleforme.
This is a chat site. I'm not sure why proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization are critical for this environment. Often, the character limitation alone works against this "point of concern". I've almost exceeded my character limit typing this response.
It’s also just the style of the casual internet. I remember back in the early 2000s purposely making my emails less formal because that’s how my friends were writing theirs.
Actually, punctuation allows your readers to understand what you are saying. I find it exhausting reading posts or articles without punctuation. Our brains have been trained to expect punctuation and not having it causes stress for the reader.
I think I may stop paying attention to capitalization. I use voice typing a lot and it screws up the capitalization all the time, or at least relatively frequently, and frankly I'm just sick of dealing with it
I've had discussions along these lines with my teenage daughter regarding our texting styles.
I'm, ah, not necessarily going to race to tell her that a writer I hold in esteem is on her side, nearly verbatim. :) But I do suddenly feel old and crotchety, like I need a Werther's candy.
It's a skeet, not an exam paper lol what is ppl's obsession w punctuation and grammar when it's literally not that serious. Like what are you supposed to do?
I envy the freedom of “just yapping.”
Unfortunately, my thoughtful texts are forever trapped in punctuation purgatory,… sadly spiced only with an odd alliteration addiction.
Slang can be looked up while variability in word choice, spelling, punctuation, & grammar can be overlooked in the vast majority of cases; if a reader is genuinely confused (after self-policing against the urge to put someone down), they can ask for clarification
The only time capitalization annoys me is when someone who is Bad At Copywriting Does This Because They Were Told By Some Dumbass Email Marketing Guru That It Will Make Their Posts Stand Out
I definitely can’t live like that… but completely respect your right to do (wild & crazy) you. It’s even a bit impressive - this brave, exciting life you’re living - careening around sentences without guardrails or stop signs.. More power to you..
Here at Bluesky, we're all about some block button. Free yourself from the burden. Read printed books that have been edited. Spend an evening with Strunk and White to alleviate the pain.
Leaving off the period in a shitpost is like a pause waiting for the audience to laugh, imo.
A period can signal the reader that the poster is making a serious point.
Have you considered that using capitals and punctuation is an accessibility subject? By not using these you make your posts harder to parse for many people.
Whereas I believe that punctuation gives your writing a voice and pace. It also substitutes for gestures. Do we set off a phrase with commas, parentheses, or dashes? A comma is a normal pause. But parentheses whisper. And dashes shout.
Context clues can be rule-based like punctuation/capitalization, but more stylized clues like vocab, slang, and shared context work fine for interpersonal, casual communication - more like conversing than formal writing.
when i am on my laptop, it does NOT automatically make the first work in the sentence a "Capital" letter. It only does when I am on my phone. Sometimes I forget to do the punctuation when on here on laptop. so, I am with Jamelle! 😊
I use capitalization and punctuation. It's just what I'm used to. So I'm a bit surprised that when I read this, I did a double take. I'd never noticed.
If it's going to be formally published, then it matters, but around here. Just Yap away, no biggie. I use voice text, and whatever comes out comes out. And sometimes autocorrect is funnier. Then what you had to say😂
We all do things the way we were taught. If I don't punctuate, it bugs me. Some alterations are necessary, depending upon the length of the post. When running out of space, I'll often go back and look for words to shorten & abbreviate. Only in dire emergencies will I skip the rules I learned. 💯😁!
First, thank you for the response! Second, it doesn’t bother me. I was just curious about your choice here, especially since you are a professional writer. Keep up the great work, regardless of capitalization or the lack thereof!
Who gives AF, grammar police- it's a social media platform- about content. I've been published offline so I've had professional editing however on SM platforms, I don't care.
I intentionally don't use capitalization when writing any trump name, most GOP politicians, putin and other dictator's names
Well, the Oxford comma is a case in point about the use of punctuation for clarity. That's why I use it, and why I was happy about that lawsuit in Mississippi concerning a contract without an Oxford comma, which resulted in its misinterpretation.
Gertie seemed conflicted- Once she said, “I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming a sentences.” but another time she wrote, “What does a comma do, a comma does nothing but make easy a thing that if you like it enough is easy enough without the comma.”
I have enjoyed finding the imagined cadence that seems to balance with the flow of unpunctuated text. I read your words quite easily, no commas needed. I appreciate what you have to say, light or heavy.
did you ever spend much time in real time chat rooms at a formative age? cuz that's how I think I ended up typing like this, they move too quick to be typing any slower lol
Meaning requires understanding and understanding is enhanced by punctuation/capitalization. It is basic respect to those with whom you are communicating.
And if you’re not communicating, go write in a journal.
Punctuation isn’t necessary if you’ve structured your sentences correctly. (predictive text correctly predicted the last two words in that ☝️ sentence.)
I've noticed people under 40 rarely capitalize or punctuate text, and they see careful punctuation as an editorial statement. But people over, say, 65, can't imagine not punctuating anything longer than a sentence fragment. And we quarrel about the Oxford comma more than is strictly necessary.
I'm torn. Proper punctuation & grammar help to convey meaning & nuance to those with dyslexia and learning disabilities, & I'm all for that, but stylistic differences count for something too. I had a professor say that all lower case texting suggests that you don't take yourself seriously. Ouch.
i agree. that is what texting is. it's not a letter or anything remotely formal. i being old as dirt understand this but a period or exclamation etc is a habit hard to break! even this i can manage to fuck up horrendously anyways. don't even get mecstarted on tgat evik text fairy tgat haunts me! lol
Doesn’t your phone auto capitalize the first letter though? Like you do you with the rest of it, that’s fine. Aren’t you deliberately working harder to decapitalize the first letter though?
There’s a setting to turn that off. I learned that from my 21-year-old daughter who also doesn’t use any capitalization in texts, although she does use occasional punctuation.
Were you born before 1985? My daughter knows all the rules but texts me without capitalization or punctuation and it is not hard for her to resist (she was born in 1988). And it’s not hard for me to understand her-in fact, it’s easier to understand her bc it sounds more like her true self
For some people, worrying about correct grammar increases anxiety. For me, correct grammar decreases anxiety. Different people are different. 🤷🏻♀️ I don't have the right to make someone more anxious when they're relaxing.
You should do what you prefer of course! But I will note that punctation/caps are shown to people with visual processing issues to read your words though, and also help all readers comprehend meaning quicker. So it is good for accessibility, and for CONVEYING meaning. Still a matter of choice obv.
I don't care at all as long as you will respond with clarification if you are asked questions because your point is unclear. I find that even using standard spelling, capitalization and grrammar, my posts do not all come across as intended.
Comments
gotta turn it off as soon as you can.
(my phone automatically capitalizes the beginning of sentences and I usually don't feel strongly enough to fight it, but sometimes I'll do it just to mark something as ✨extra cazh✨...)
ps, I am an old & I don’t have time for trivial complaints, I mean, the country is on fire here
*punctuation added for meaning
so k d lang
You're the writer. Still, I vote for punctuation and capitalization. It's written English, and, at least to me, it's better when it's standard stuff.
I'm, ah, not necessarily going to race to tell her that a writer I hold in esteem is on her side, nearly verbatim. :) But I do suddenly feel old and crotchety, like I need a Werther's candy.
Oy, vey, dude! TRUMP IS GOING TO BE PRESIDENT!
FULL STOP.
Dear followers,
[random thought had throughout the day]
Best,
Jamelle
Unfortunately, my thoughtful texts are forever trapped in punctuation purgatory,… sadly spiced only with an odd alliteration addiction.
Slang can be looked up while variability in word choice, spelling, punctuation, & grammar can be overlooked in the vast majority of cases; if a reader is genuinely confused (after self-policing against the urge to put someone down), they can ask for clarification
Kinda topical if you think about it.
👏👏 @jamellebouie.net
A period can signal the reader that the poster is making a serious point.
i will not go back to pressing unnecessary buttons
Love your posts for the record.
Lack of it makes your posts harder to read which wastes our time.
It also makes you look uneducated which means people like me are less likely to take what you say seriously.
FYI
Speaking of wasting time.............
Lack of punctuation could be a problem in some circumstances, but usually isn't.
(Personally I wish we had even minimal formatting. I frequently want italics.)
Take what you like and leave the rest.
Those are not available in written form.
I intentionally don't use capitalization when writing any trump name, most GOP politicians, putin and other dictator's names
wth🤔
I don’t know the root of this.
𝒫ℯ𝓇𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓈, 𝒾𝓉'𝓈 𝒷ℯ𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ𝓎 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃'𝓉 𝓁ℯ𝒶𝓇𝓃 𝒸𝓊𝓇𝓈𝒾𝓋ℯ. ✲‿✲
And if you’re not communicating, go write in a journal.
😂🤣
I still remember a story from Josh Marshall infiltrating his son's game chat. His son told him that Josh's use of commas gave him away.