one more response

[Baker, John]

        I, for one, do find the text markings useful, and I think there is plenty of evidence suggesting that most people do prefer text written primarily in lower case.  For example, almost all text, including that used on this list, is primarily in lower case, even though it would be easier on the writer to choose upper case and stick to it.  I'm aware that I haven't presented rigorous evidence for lower case's greater ease of reading, but that's been my own experience and a number of other people have said the same.  Doubtless the popularity and ease of reading are primarily for the reasons you suggest.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: RonButters at AOL.COM [mailto:RonButters at AOL.COM]
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 11:28 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: one more response


In a message dated 9/9/02 10:56:17 AM, JMB at STRADLEY.COM writes:

<< Most people seem to find it easier to read lower case text, which may
account for its popularity over the past 12 centuries or so.  >>

The "popularity" surely has mostly to do with the fact that it allows marked
and unmarked versions of the text, so that we can, e.g., more easily pick out
the beginning of sentences, or proper names (or nouns in German). As for ease
of reading, I suppose it must be the case that things are easier to read if
written in a system that is what we are used to, as opposed to what we are
not used to. The idea that "most people seem to find it easier to read lower
case text" is just unsubstantiated opinion without some kind of empirical
evidence.