Do we need uper case "I" anymore? What is wrong with 'i'

[Michaelangelica]

It is such a pain to type an upper-case 'I' especially when ' i' gets the meaning across fine.

[Tormod]

Do we really need upper-case anything at all?

[belovelife]

capitols letters always first, lowercase (almost) always last

period

 

i only use lowercase letters

(eccept for ideas like LEO )

[freeztar]

It is such a pain to type an upper-case 'I' especially when ' i' gets the meaning across fine.

 

The shift key is not so intimidating once you get used to it. :rolleyes:

[Michaelangelica]

Do we really need upper-case anything at all?

O dear, now I have to be conservative.:rolleyes:

 

As an old guy,, a capitals and even a double space between sentences, is very helpful.

 

I have also found myself breaking up blocks of quoted text posted on Hypography.

Because i think it makes the quote easier to read. This is something i would not do in a letter or book.

 

I don't think we should throw out punctuation where it helps meaning.

I just don't think I and i make any difference once we get used to- The New World Order.

 

I note the Victorian Education Department (Oz) is teaching students how to TEXT messages vial 'mobile phone' (Yanks read - 'Cell-phone').

.

My wife- an old style English teacher- had my daughters rolling around the floor laughing as she tried to send an "old style" punctuated text message via mobile phone..

[Tormod]

I was actually serious (with a hint of irony).

 

In Norway there is no capital letter for I ("jeg"). Old (well, really old now) people might capitalize a formal "You" version ("De", "Dere" or "Dem" depending on situation) but this has vanished from Norwegian.

 

Capitalizing first letters of sentences might be a good idea but consider this - in the US and apparently Ozzies use both full stop, two spaces *and* a capitalized first letter. Kind of overkill, isn't it?

 

In Norwegian the double space is not used, but the full stop and capitalized first letter is of course there. We're seing both full stops and capitals go now as a result of people using txt language. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

[Flying Binghi]

Well, this bearly literate pleb dont mind language laxity - i fit right in :rolleyes:

 

Personaly I like the Shakespearian approch to writeing - i.e. change the spelling to suit your mood :phones:

[pamela]

This feels very Seinfeldish to me :phones:

In casual conversation or type, i always use "i". If i am stressing a point, or preparing a business document, then i use 'I".

Small "i" feels friendlier, where as "I" feels harsh and cold. :rolleyes:

[Mercedes Benzene]

The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology (Wilson, 1988, ISBN

0-8242-0745-9) says: "~I~ pron. 1137 i; later I (about 1250,

in The Story of Genesis and Exodus); developed from the unstressed

form of Old English (about 725) ic singular pronoun of the first

person (nominative case). Modern and Middle English I developed

from earlier i in the stressed position. I came to be written

with a capital letter thereby making it a distinct word and avoiding

misreading handwritten manuscripts. In the northern and midland

dialects of England the capitalized form I appeared about 1250.

In the south of England, where Old English ic early shifted in

pronunciation to ich (by palatalization), the form I did not

become established until the 1700's (although it appears

sporadically before that time)."

 

It seems that we started doing it as a means of convenient differentiation. Makes sense to me.

 

In general, capitalization is a very useful tool. We don't necessarily read every word when we scan a sentence. The human brain is able to put together the meaning of a sentence based on just a few words. I'd imagine that capitalization at the beginning of a sentence makes it *very* clear that a new idea is being started (just in case the period wasn't enough). And I'd also imagine that this is the same function of a double space after the period. I don't use that though, except in formal writing (essays, emails, etc).

 

Along the same lines of emphasis, certain other words can be capitalized as well (such as nouns in German). In fact, nouns used to be capitalized in English as well. Just read Gulliver's Travels.

[OldBill]

l like it because l don't ever have to hit the shift key when l type an 'l' - l just use the lower-case L (as l just did six times here).

[freeztar]

l like it because l don't ever have to hit the shift key when l type an 'l' - l just use the lower-case L (as l just did six times here).

 

:IoI:

 

Oh wait...

 

 

:lightning

[lawcat]

I propose a separate key "I."