mel jacobson on wed 3 apr 02
when i first started writing on the internet, about
seven years ago, there was some very strict protocol.
lot's of :) :> ;O ;/ symbols.
all caps meant you were shouting. SHOUTING LOUD
some symbols on the key board would
not translate well...they came up in code.
my first computer was very slow, and it
made a great many errors. (ME)
i did not have quality spell check.
so, i started thinking that stories told in
lower case would be more intimate. quiet.
just a story among friends...so, i started
using .....dots.....to break ideas, thin
columns like a newspaper...and began
thinking in `style`.
i had worked at the minneapolis star and tribune
newspaper from early high school, all through
college. column printing was in my blood.
so, it all became a habit when telling
stories on clayart. it is a part of fast
fast typing. ideas flowing.
when i am writing in a formal way, i go to
ms word 2000. set up all the errors i make
in the format. set up longer pages...have auto
capital set. in about one page, i am switched over.
having just finished a book, i sure did have trouble at first.
now, when i pull up the manuscript my brain just pops over.
it is amazing how a kid from the inner city of minneapolis, that
had all kinds of problems in school....had trouble in english
class and suffered as much as any of you...would become
a writer. and it proves what Steinbeck said...`just have something
to write about, that is the key, then hire someone to figure out
the semi colons`. (who knows who really said that?) i love to write about
teaching and clay. it is
what i know something about.
and, as one of my favorite authors, a dock worker, uneducated,
said, `when you write your first book, it is thin, not many pages,
just a few ideas. it is everything you know in one book. the second
book is 500 pages, but, it is just the first, thin book, said with a
great many words.
with respect to the proper english writing style.
but, `i just get on with it`.
mel
not one english teacher, that i have ever been associated
with in my life, has ever written anything. strange.
i guess they were too busy correcting others, and beating
up on kids, and feeling all puffed up with their importance.
(a bias, you noticed.)
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
Les Haworth on wed 3 apr 02
Mel, you forgot one symbol that was a favorite of mine on my first computer.
(an Atari 520ST) The infamous raspberries - :P - Helpful when trashing a
Apple or Mac addict. Have a great day!
Les H. : )
Lester R. Haworth III
Sales and Technical Support
Laguna Clay Co.
14400 Lomitas ave
City of Industry, CA 91746
1(800) 4-LAGUNA ext. 229
(626)330-0631 ext. 229
les@lagunaclay.com
www.lagunaclay.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of mel jacobson
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 9:26 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: [CLAYART] lower case/history
when i first started writing on the internet, about
seven years ago, there was some very strict protocol.
lot's of :) :> ;O ;/ symbols.
all caps meant you were shouting. SHOUTING LOUD
some symbols on the key board would
not translate well...they came up in code.
my first computer was very slow, and it
made a great many errors. (ME)
i did not have quality spell check.
so, i started thinking that stories told in
lower case would be more intimate. quiet.
just a story among friends...so, i started
using .....dots.....to break ideas, thin
columns like a newspaper...and began
thinking in `style`.
i had worked at the minneapolis star and tribune
newspaper from early high school, all through
college. column printing was in my blood.
so, it all became a habit when telling
stories on clayart. it is a part of fast
fast typing. ideas flowing.
when i am writing in a formal way, i go to
ms word 2000. set up all the errors i make
in the format. set up longer pages...have auto
capital set. in about one page, i am switched over.
having just finished a book, i sure did have trouble at first.
now, when i pull up the manuscript my brain just pops over.
it is amazing how a kid from the inner city of minneapolis, that
had all kinds of problems in school....had trouble in english
class and suffered as much as any of you...would become
a writer. and it proves what Steinbeck said...`just have something
to write about, that is the key, then hire someone to figure out
the semi colons`. (who knows who really said that?) i love to write about
teaching and clay. it is
what i know something about.
and, as one of my favorite authors, a dock worker, uneducated,
said, `when you write your first book, it is thin, not many pages,
just a few ideas. it is everything you know in one book. the second
book is 500 pages, but, it is just the first, thin book, said with a
great many words.
with respect to the proper english writing style.
but, `i just get on with it`.
mel
not one english teacher, that i have ever been associated
with in my life, has ever written anything. strange.
i guess they were too busy correcting others, and beating
up on kids, and feeling all puffed up with their importance.
(a bias, you noticed.)
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Phil Jaren on wed 3 apr 02
mel...
strange this world of ours...how people get their style, ideas. i was in the
usn and used typewriters with only caps for a few years. seem somewhat
natural to type without caps...as far as stilted english teachers...perhaps
they knew the need for structure in the young ones' minds...
i do so enjoy your posts mel. thanks so much....
see, you turned out alright mel.
phil jaren
----- Original Message -----
From: "mel jacobson"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 11:25 AM
Subject: lower case/history
> when i first started writing on the internet, about
> seven years ago, there was some very strict protocol.
> lot's of :) :> ;O ;/ symbols.
>
> all caps meant you were shouting. SHOUTING LOUD
> some symbols on the key board would
> not translate well...they came up in code.
> my first computer was very slow, and it
> made a great many errors. (ME)
> i did not have quality spell check.
>
> so, i started thinking that stories told in
> lower case would be more intimate. quiet.
> just a story among friends...so, i started
> using .....dots.....to break ideas, thin
> columns like a newspaper...and began
> thinking in `style`.
>
> i had worked at the minneapolis star and tribune
> newspaper from early high school, all through
> college. column printing was in my blood.
>
> so, it all became a habit when telling
> stories on clayart. it is a part of fast
> fast typing. ideas flowing.
>
> when i am writing in a formal way, i go to
> ms word 2000. set up all the errors i make
> in the format. set up longer pages...have auto
> capital set. in about one page, i am switched over.
>
> having just finished a book, i sure did have trouble at first.
> now, when i pull up the manuscript my brain just pops over.
>
> it is amazing how a kid from the inner city of minneapolis, that
> had all kinds of problems in school....had trouble in english
> class and suffered as much as any of you...would become
> a writer. and it proves what Steinbeck said...`just have something
> to write about, that is the key, then hire someone to figure out
> the semi colons`. (who knows who really said that?) i love to write
about
> teaching and clay. it is
> what i know something about.
>
> and, as one of my favorite authors, a dock worker, uneducated,
> said, `when you write your first book, it is thin, not many pages,
> just a few ideas. it is everything you know in one book. the second
> book is 500 pages, but, it is just the first, thin book, said with a
> great many words.
> with respect to the proper english writing style.
> but, `i just get on with it`.
> mel
> not one english teacher, that i have ever been associated
> with in my life, has ever written anything. strange.
> i guess they were too busy correcting others, and beating
> up on kids, and feeling all puffed up with their importance.
> (a bias, you noticed.)
> From:
> Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
> web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
Linda Christen on wed 3 apr 02
This is true.
Having a Network architecture husband who has been involved with the
internet for about fifteen years I can attest to what you are saying, Mel.
Remember that in the beginning the internet was not filled with English
teachers.
Grammar and spelling took a back seat to the content of what a person was
saying. it was rude to use too many capitols. as you say, it is like you
are being yelled at.
All lower case writing was the standard until all the English and non
technology focused people joined the online community. I remember a long
time ago when clayarters first started wanting spell check and proper
grammar, etc. my husband just tsked and shook his head. it was a sign of
the transformation on the internet away from predominantly techies.
Linda
when i first started writing on the internet, about
seven years ago, there was some very strict protocol.
lot's of :) :> ;O ;/ symbols.
all caps meant you were shouting. SHOUTING LOUD
Martin Howard on thu 4 apr 02
one great advantage of writing only lower case is that you can then use
upper case for a letter which has an accent. in that way you can write in
almost any language and change languages easily. not many languages have
several different accents over or under the same letter, and when they do it
is easy from the context to understand which one is meant.
a full stop means the end of a sentence, so there is no need for a capital
letter for the start of the next. i can be small all the time. its just a
matter of getting into the habit.
Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
Updated 3rd March 2002
Janet Kaiser on thu 4 apr 02
One of the reasons one forgets with our "wasteful habits" these days:
bandwidth. In the early days, a message of 2 or 3 Kb was considered
huge and took ages to download, often not even making it before being
cut off or scrambled. It was unheard of to send documents, images,
etc. to home users and it was sheer bad manners to have a signature
more than 50 characters long. Compare to what gets zapped around these
days, the number of ISPs and computer capacity world-wide. Not to
mention internal modems, ISDN, cable... It truly is a revolution!
Remember those early days of the internet? Many people could not even
go on-line because they had fixed telephone connections and even when
we modernised to telephone jacks, the lines were NBG. Even now, we can
only dream of fast connections in rural areas...
Capitals were just not used in the "olden days", because there was no
ANSI standard... Even now, when we type foreign language letters and
some symbols, they do not necessarily look the same at their
destination. I use the bullet . (alt + 0149) a great deal, but it
sometimes appears as a question mark or a slash. At least öäüß German
letters are now generally recognised, so the re-learning of using oe,
ae, ue, ss, etc. which we had to use for about 10 years, can be
forgotten again.
Lower case only? Melanese? Sure it gave way to standard usage as the
user base changed... From the original technicians and adolescent male
users of the early days, to practically everyone from coalman to
professor today. Even potters for goodness sake!
Those who use and don't use language as an everyday tool will
obviously adopt different styles. It is liberating to know that the
internet is still the one area where it DOES NOT MATTER!!! There! I
shouted! Even using those three exclamation marks would be considered
bad style in a book or elsewhere. But who cares here in cyber space?
Whether with or without capitals? Indeed, every noun begins with a
capital letter in German, so the shift key is such a part of typing, I
really cannot type without capitalisation! But it is sometimes hit and
miss with symbols... I type using the German layout, but on an English
keyboard... Confusing! But just because I capitalise automatically, I
do not scorn those who do not.
When I was waiting for the results of my 'A' levels, my mother
presented me with a state-of-the-art bright blue Corona typewriter.
She reckoned if I did not get into University, I could become a
secretary... a nice, clean, respectable job. I spent six weeks
laboriously learning to type using the Pitman method. Left hand
fingers on the asdf, right on the ölkj "base keys". Index left to g,
index right to h... Then a row up and a row down. Really tricky doing
the numbers and symbols... and I still only use the left shift key
when touch typing. Not good practice, but inevitable there is some
"fault" when one is self-taught.
What typing did not teach me, was spelling... I thankfully missed that
ridiculous fashion (cannot remember what it was called) of teaching
children to read and write phonetically up to grade 3 or 4 and then
graduating to "real English". But I was taught through the medium of
Welsh (which is a phonetic language) and very rarely corrected in
English throughout school to about age 16. Let's just say my English
was extremely "creative" and it is amazing I got through to university
never mind graduate. However, my thesis was typed by a woman who
corrected the appalling English syntax... So it took a job teaching
English as a foreign language and later as a translator in Germany for
me to learn English spelling! Embarrassment being the main spur
towards a fairly reasonable standard! You only write "warter" (for
water) on the blackboard and have 30 correct you once, before taking
steps to improve. It is only now, with the invention of the spell
check that I can depend on my own written word...
Revolution? It is bloody marvellous! So don't go knocking how people
type. The written word is simply a means of communication. The way we
write is surely of secondary importance?
Janet Kaiser - Where the lambs are gambling around verdant green
fields and the gorse is sprinkling the whole countryside with dabs of
golden yellow. The huge 100 year old Rhododendron tree (something 20
feet tall can no longer be considered a mere bush) in the next village
is in full bloom... Bright scarlet beauty. What a lovely time of year
it is... If only more potters would make pots which reflect the glory
of springtime in Wales... The glorious colour against the craggy rock
backdrops... Ahhh... BTW The Rhododendrons here are Himalayan imports
and considered a "bad thing" where they have escaped from the
Victorian gardens they were planted in and naturalised to cover whole
mountains... A pernicious weed, but very beautiful, even if it is
destroying the environment.
The Chapel of Art / Capel Celfyddyd
Home of The International Potters' Path
8 Marine Crescent : Criccieth : GB-Wales
URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
postbox@the-coa.org.uk
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