[Howlin]

Why do they capitalize EVERY single word?

It looks ignorant.

[msnimje]

Why do they capitalize EVERY single word? It looks ignorant.

I was wondering the exact same thing!

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"Why do they capitalize EVERY single word?

It looks ignorant."

There is a preponderance of nonstandard grammar on the Internet. Overcapitalizing is less common than the lack of appropriate capitalization, or punctuation.

Internet posters should be aware that proper use of capitalization and punctuation greatly improves reading speed, and helps avoid miscommunication. This, in turn, makes others more likely to want to read your missives; and increases the odds that your message will be understood.

I once went to the extent of sending a personal email to a poster on another discussion group, asking him to start using some capitals and punctuation marks. He responded that he wanted to have a distinctive style. He wasn't moved by my pointing out how much more time it took to read his postings, and how they lost whatever impact they might have had, because so much effort was needed to decode them.

I've come to the point that I simply don't read most such postings. If someone doesn't care how much more of my time and effort is required to decode their message -- then I'm not interested in their message. Similarly, if they're simply too ignorant to know the most basic rules of capitalization and punctuation -- then I figure I won't learn much from trying to decode their message.

It certainly isn't necessary to write everything to the standards your junior-high grammar teacher insisted upon. It is necessary to show consideration to your reader.