Using all caps in online communications is discouraged for technical and social reasons. It can be difficult to read, convey negative emotions, and make the writer appear inexperienced. Capitalization rules should be checked before submitting information electronically.
The rules of Internet etiquette are not universal, but the use of all caps in online communications is discouraged for both technical and social reasons. Some online forms may specifically require capitalized responses, often to keep responses consistent, but this is relatively rare. When addresses or form responses are written in capital letters, it can be difficult for the recipient to read and give the reader a negative perception of the writer. Some online forms can also be case sensitive, which means that any uppercase letters you type when creating a password or email address must remain that way afterwards.
One of the main reasons that using all caps is discouraged is social in nature. It’s difficult to convey emotion, irony, or sarcasm in most electronic communications, so many email and chat room users use capital letters to express anger or other strong emotions. THE EFFECT IS THE LOOK OF SCREAMING, which may not be the feeling you want to convey. Other typographic effects, such as emoticons, can convey more subtle emotions, but the use of capital letters is perceived as anything but subtle.
Another reason many users of online forms dislike all caps is general readability. Early computer programs had difficulty recognizing lowercase letters, so using all capital letters was the norm. With the availability of more advanced word processing programs, fewer computer users felt the need to use all caps in their electronic communications. Some online forms still require responses this way, but often only when responses are relatively short and recipients are looking for a level playing field with no typos with improper lowercase or capitalization affecting their decisions.
When a form doesn’t require all capital letters and you respond that way anyway, it can make your responses stand out from other people’s, but often not in a good way. People who are new to online communications or aren’t comfortable with the Internet may use capital letters more than they should, so filling out a form this way or even using all caps in your email address can make it appear that you are inexperienced.
Long passages written in all caps can be very difficult to read. EVEN A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF WHY IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS CAN QUICKLY TURN INTO A SHADE OF LETTERS OVER TIME. Capital letters have their place in electronic communications, especially as headings and titles, but most readers prefer to view electronic text as a form of typed material, with familiar uppercase and lowercase characters. Using all capital letters can negatively affect a reader’s reading speed or a publisher’s proofreading ability.
Capital letters should only be used to express very strong emotions or in response to short online form requests. Be sure to check the website’s capitalization rules before submitting your information electronically.
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