Posting & Comments Style: Caps Lock & Religious Talk
Below is an excerpt from a comment that I came across on the discussion thread of another blog recently:
I WOULD LIKE 2 KNOW WHO UR 2 TELL ME OR ANYBODY IN THIS WORLD WHAT FAITH WE NEED TO BELIEVE IN. THERE IS ONLY 1 FAITH EVER 1 NEED 2 KNOW, 1 GOD AND 1 JESUS THE SON OF GOD… GOD IS NOT IN R SCHOOLS ANY MORE, U DON’T SEE JESUS’ PIC IN THE HALLS OF ANY OTHER PLACE TOO. THE PEOPLE THAT COME 2 THE USA SHOULD LIVE WITH R-GOD.
Ugh…
From time to time I’ve received similar all-caps emails and comments. As in this example, they’re sometimes unconsciously ironic: here, the preachy commentator clearly feels that he or she is in an excellent position to tell others exactly what “faith we need to believe in.” In contrast, the blogger whom this individual faults was holding a genuinely open dialog on different ways of understanding scripture.
As a matter of effective communication, it seems to me that Caps Lock generally isn’t a good idea. I think it’s likely to come off as loud, shrill, or defensive in tone and doesn’t add useful content to one’s message. From what I can see, Caps Lock's essential message is, “WHAT I’M SAYING IS REALLY REALLY TRUE AND IMPORTANT.” Now let’s try it without Caps Lock: “What I’m saying is really really true and important…”
I really don't think that either way makes the point...
1. Do you have any suggestions regarding posting/commenting techniques that strike you as especially effective or ineffective? Alternatively:
2. The first couple comments to this thread have responded more to the emotional tone and content of the above quotation that its use of Caps Lock. What do you think is the best way to handle remarks, whether in blogging or other contexts, whose content might be summarized as angry and featuring an "us against them" outlook in which you're clearly the one being perceived as "them?"
3. Where do you think people are coming from when they make such remarks?
I WOULD LIKE 2 KNOW WHO UR 2 TELL ME OR ANYBODY IN THIS WORLD WHAT FAITH WE NEED TO BELIEVE IN. THERE IS ONLY 1 FAITH EVER 1 NEED 2 KNOW, 1 GOD AND 1 JESUS THE SON OF GOD… GOD IS NOT IN R SCHOOLS ANY MORE, U DON’T SEE JESUS’ PIC IN THE HALLS OF ANY OTHER PLACE TOO. THE PEOPLE THAT COME 2 THE USA SHOULD LIVE WITH R-GOD.
Ugh…
From time to time I’ve received similar all-caps emails and comments. As in this example, they’re sometimes unconsciously ironic: here, the preachy commentator clearly feels that he or she is in an excellent position to tell others exactly what “faith we need to believe in.” In contrast, the blogger whom this individual faults was holding a genuinely open dialog on different ways of understanding scripture.
As a matter of effective communication, it seems to me that Caps Lock generally isn’t a good idea. I think it’s likely to come off as loud, shrill, or defensive in tone and doesn’t add useful content to one’s message. From what I can see, Caps Lock's essential message is, “WHAT I’M SAYING IS REALLY REALLY TRUE AND IMPORTANT.” Now let’s try it without Caps Lock: “What I’m saying is really really true and important…”
I really don't think that either way makes the point...
1. Do you have any suggestions regarding posting/commenting techniques that strike you as especially effective or ineffective? Alternatively:
2. The first couple comments to this thread have responded more to the emotional tone and content of the above quotation that its use of Caps Lock. What do you think is the best way to handle remarks, whether in blogging or other contexts, whose content might be summarized as angry and featuring an "us against them" outlook in which you're clearly the one being perceived as "them?"
3. Where do you think people are coming from when they make such remarks?
Posted by Paul at 6:32 PM Permalink
22 Comments:
Ha,well people like that commenter are the ones against "peace" and "unity".That is not something strange,is it,i mean in the real world,we see them everywhere.I don't bother giving them a second glance mostly,but then sometimes,these worms have to be dealt with.
When we compare this medium with face-to-face communication, it's clear that there is less scope to communicate one's own reality. So every quirk of expression that we unthinkingly choose helps to convey the totality of the writer.
Spelling and grammatical mistakes, punctuation, choice of words, tone, abbreviations and the use of upper or lower case---all these help build up a picture of the writer.
What you call "unconsciously ironic" I call clues to the writer's personality. to me they are all welcome and help me see the vulnerability of that person.
This is not politics. We don't wear make-up in this blogging world and we don't need to undergo training in effective communication. So I see it a little differently Paul. I am actually more sympathetic to an unsophisticated writer in some ways, more tolerant, more aware of his or her difficulties in communication. On the other hand, when the writer expresses his or her self well, I may tend to argue vigorously.
As for the all caps quote, its signals to me not to even think of responding to its author; a signal which I receive with gratitude.
It's pleasant in this busy fast world that we are approached guilelessly, and our intrlocutors come straight to the point. I like it when the American Mormons who hunt in pairs on our shopping street have name-badges which mention Jesus Christ, for it helps both of us not to waste our time. I know what they are selling and can tell them I don't want it.
Most all-caps comments I’ve run across have had emotional and cognitive characteristics similar to this example. They might be summarized as anger and an “us against them” mentality. As both of you suggest, the thought-content of this sort of comment generally isn’t worth responding to. Even a non-antagonistic reply is unlikely to make a difference or even to be received well.
I normally laugh when I see things like that. He needs sympathy, man. But before that, of course my eyes will go 'big' first. BIG WORDS. Did your eyes go bigger? Knew it.
(don't throw me outta your blog)
*whimpers* (don't know how to make fonts smaller here, but bet your eyes will go 'smaller' then.)
HEH.
Did I make my point?
ya know, my style is no caps.
probably due to my asian brought up, being humble and stuffs.
and of course being lazy to use the 'shift' key.
but as i do more 'paid assignments', it became crucial for me to observe initial caps.
bah. i really prefer no caps. but it will get me thrown out of assignments when they do a blog check. blog audit is on. seriously.
ps. thanks for the oxygen bubble.
see what it has done to me so far?
this may be my record comment on your post.
do you think you might be sending more? did your experiment work, paul? HUH HUH HUH????
heheheheh..
My reaction to a comment like that would probably be in efforts to draw the person out of the "tunnel-vision" mentality, into a more open and expansive thought-process. A good way to do that might be to ask them what they think... which might take repeated doing, building from specifics in their commentary.
i.e.: "How do you know that there is only one God?" The response might be, "SAYS SO IN THE BIBLE" Then I would ask, "Where?" After they go and look it up, they would probably come back with "JESUS SAID I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE NO MAN COMES 2 THE FATHER BUT BY ME" Then I would ask, "Did Jesus ever say he was God?" This might take them a little longer, then they would come back with the passage where Christ was asked if he was the son of God, and his only response was "I am what you say I am." Of course, there is more than one way to interpret this statement, but it just might lead someone to at least start thinking for themselves instead of "toeing in" with the "Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it" crowd.
I dunno, though. Depending on my mood, I might just ignore it.
When I see all caps, I feel like the person is yelling. But I'm not sure everyone realizes it's seen as impolite. I think they're probably anxious.
I've been lucky on my blog. Not many people commenting in all caps, though there have been a couple of arguments among the commentors that were so icky I deleted them.
Yes, that seems to happen a lot -arguments because of lack of information. This seems truer today than in the past - that people often can't even agree on the facts.
MISTI: That strikes me as on the mark - that when people are belligerent in presenting their beliefs to someone who doesn't share them, they come from a place of insecurity. Maybe a good question for such persons to ask themselves is why it agitates them when others believe differently.
I guess the experiment worked all right... You seem to have received it. Who'd have thunk it?!
TIMJAMZ: Yeah, that would be mine too, although I think with such a short writing sample, it's hard to guess.
Maybe depending on your mood and also your gut feeling on whether the person has any interest in "discussion" vs. "argument" as per Pauline's comment.
CRYSTAL: I see what you mean on both the yelling and the "icky." To me the latter happens when things start getting personal and the real focus is no longer on the topic but on trying to make someone else look bad.
LIARA: Yes, strong emotion and occassionally an accidental caps lock depression.
Caps Lock Depression is the only personality assessment I offer readers. For treatment, I always refer out to a phd.
1. Brevity and clarity.
2. I leave all comments on my blog except for spamverisments. It rounds the discussion. I was sad once when a poster went back through a series of posts and removed all her own comments. It stilted all the other comments.
3. Soapbox and blinkers.
Those are great guidelines. I've finally had to give up and just leave comments moderator on with no intention of turning it off again because for three or four months as soon as I disable it my "stalker" is back. The comments are simply offensive with no content value and would degrade discussion threads.
and it will help to emphasize but NOT empathise.
Hey are you getting ready for Bill Maher's movie Religulous?
http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/06/07/must-watch-bill-mahers-religulous-trailer/
He is a funny guy. I'm afraid that this generation must pass before any real discussion can take place..even though it is the 21st Century already..it will be interesting to see if this helps polarize the American Public and put the so-called Moral Majority back in play...we'll see.
HAYDEN: That’s been my experience too. If it’s all caps and it goes on for a full paragraph or more instead of being just a phrase or sentence, it's pretty much always angry or accusatory in tone from what I've seen.
DONN: Yeah - raising the voice does seem like the nearest analogue.
Thanks for the link, will check it out if time but should say that this week is entering into brand new medical territory for me which is taking up most of what little time I normally have to do stuff besides getting rudimentary physical needs met. Life in the duct tape jungle. (My adaptive needs are so unique we can almost never just buy something so it's become the house of duct tape.)
TELL THEM THEY SUCK.
lol! yes in caps :)
Keshi.
Also, don't know if it's just me, but I find extended remarks in all caps physically hard to read. Feels like your brain has to work harder to see where sentences start/end without the first letters of sentences being readily identifiable.
But I thought it was just me, LOL. I tend to cringe and tighten up when someone yells - all caps qualifies as yelling - so I thought I just wasn't going with the flow and that it was tension making it difficult.
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