Shady CharactersFeb 20
Mignon Fogarty

Did you know people were using capital letters to shout in print as far back as 1856? 

This week, I talked with Mastodon's very own technology historian, @glennf, who traced the history of "shouty caps" through centuries of newspapers, old Usenet posts, and even German dialect jokes.

There's also fascinating stuff about typesetters and costs. Check it out!

WATCH: https://youtu.be/ygyknQ3IDUo?si=FxyNRgCHEsO-uzus
READ: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/1161/transcript
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229

Feb 19 at 9:46pmWeb
Show thread☮ ♥ ♬ 🧑‍💻Feb 19

@grammargirl @glennf Royal Arrow USN Typewriter, only has full caps. Everything typed is UC 🤣☺️

<https://mrmrsvintagetypewriters.com/collections/typewriters/products/royal-arrow-u-s-navy-typewriter>

Show threadGully1965Feb 19

@grammargirl @glennf

US NAVY AND OTHER NAVIES USED ALL CAPS IN THEIR MESSAGES (FORMAL CORRESPONDENCE SENT ELECTRONICALLY). NOT SURE IF THEY STILL DO.

Show thread☮ ♥ ♬ 🧑‍💻Feb 20
@Gully1965 what is the “MILL key” function? Precision in numerical, ie: time? cc @grammargirl @glennf
Show threadGlenn FleishmanFeb 20
@peterrenshaw @Gully1965 @grammargirl I am sure @mwichary knows (also another good guest for Mignon on typewriter-related knowledge)
Show threadMarcin WicharyFeb 20
@glennf @peterrenshaw @Gully1965 @grammargirl Typewriters used to transcribe Morse code live (in uppercase) were referred to as “mills.” https://newsletter.shifthappens.site/archive/a-time-machine-behind-the-cypress-trees/
A time machine behind the cypress trees

I’ve had, so far, a lot of luck with keyboard-related adventures. Two years ago I stumbled upon a magical typewriter museum in Spain, just a week later I...

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Show threadGranny Art (Shrimp) (Joni)Feb 19
@grammargirl @glennf paging @clive
Show threadClive ThompsonFeb 20
@artcollisions @grammargirl @glennf oh yeah this is 100% my jam, thank you for pointing it out!!
Show threadGlenn FleishmanFeb 21
@clive 👋
Show threadChancerubbageFeb 19

@grammargirl @glennf @flargh

I never considered it SHOUTING until the internet started saying “Not so LOUD!”

I considered it EMPHASIS. It has been part of type design as long as there has been type, and in ASCII -7 plain text, I saw it as one might see ITALICS, something ASCII 7 plain text ~couldn’t do~

What the internet was truly fussing about were those who never used a shift key AT ALL.

Show threadPatFeb 20
@grammargirl @glennf at private Catholic school in 1950, we were not taught how to print lower case letters, only capital letters and longhand. 75 years old, I still print only in all caps.
Show threadEclectic LeeFeb 20

@grammargirl @glennf The Usenet archive Google bought Glenn couldn't remember the name of was DejaNews.

Before I got on the pre-Web Internet around 1991, I was on dial-up bulletin board systems (BBSes). All caps was already interpreted as yelling there.

Show threadGlenn FleishmanFeb 21
@EclecticLee @grammargirl Oh, yeah, DejaNews!
Show threadMacBalanceFeb 22

@grammargirl @glennf Do you know if there’s any truth to the anecdote that earlynteletype services were all-caps because research was done that lower case was more legible but someone in charge felt that God required an upper case ‘G’?

I’ve heard this before, but willing to admit it might just be a story that was repeated many times.

Show threadGlenn FleishmanFeb 22
@MacBalance @grammargirl Never heard that one! @mwichary would have a definitive answer, if there is one. I think it’s one of those post-hoc explanations, like how “posh” allegedly meant “port out, starboard home.” People like to invent plausible stories.