Do find the intonation of bold and CAPITALIZED words in quips different?

Bold means that you are serious. Don’t eat that old sandwich.

CAPS MEANS THAT YOU ARE A DICK

Usually if I’m using CAPS it’s because I’m literally yelling at my computer screen.

Capitalization in a typed message means you’re ‘VIRTUALLY YELLING’ and that is just plain rude! Bold type means that something in your message signifies importance and people should pay attention to that because it could be a matter of life or death. Or it may be totally insignificant in the greater scheme of things. Sorry for being such an alarmist.

Do YOU think it’s because some people don’t take the time to learn how to emphasize words or thoughts – they just rely on CAPITALIZING things.

At some point, capitalizing makes sense. I know a few that never use anything other than capitalizing a word to get a point across. I find it extremely annoying!

good question!

FUCK ALL OF YOU CAPS ARE FOR PROS

I perceive all caps as MUCH MORE aggressive than bold. When I am reading something that is in all caps I can almost feel the person standing over me wagging their finger and screaming. Bold is a more gentle way of getting a point across. @johnpowell sums it up perfectly.

Intonation: yes. Caps are a raised voice. When you shout, your voice goes up in pitch. Bold is deep. Louder but deeper, like speaking loudly but not shouting.

Both are special effects and have their place, but only if used very sparingly. I’d say the same for exclamation points, and I rarely see a need for more than one.

I personally love italics. I just wish we had underlining.

Underlining would be good.

I just used caps in another thread for two words. I pretty much was yelling them, though.

going to check threads to see if Lan is yelling at me!

I wasn’t yelling at anyone exactly… it was here

ok, so I’m not in trouble! Good..it’s been one of those days.

there, there… you could never be in trouble with me :)

I only use all caps for good things like support or praise.

Like here, or here or here

I don’t think I have ever used it for yelling at someone.

If I type caps at you, I am probably VERY EXCITED!!!! If I use bold, I am probably trying to emphasize a point. I use italics more than I use bold, though.

@eponymoushipster Underline is so 80’s typewriter, like putting two spaces after a period.

@andrew: I like having 2 spaces after a period! My ocular tracking and visual processing skills aren’t very strong, and having that little extra break between sentences really does help me keep my place as I read.

@andrew so you mean my shoulder pads and square-ended terry cloth ties are out-of-style too?! dammit

i just thought it would be good for emphasis, and bring a complete set to the text tools we already have – italics, bold, strikeout…underline is just a natural completion to the that.

@andrew – really? It all blends together if I don’t space after the period. Either that (the blending together) or I still fear my typing teacher.

on the rare occasion that i use caps, i’m either really emphasizing a word or i’m really excited. usually the latter.
most of the time i use bold – at least on fluther – i don’t even mean to. i always forget that the stars are for bolding, not for narrating (i.e. it reads sighs rathern than * sighs *)