I remember when “all caps” meant something.  Somewhere high up in the pecking order of A Christmas Story‘s “triple dog dare.” High up. Something that was regrettable the instant a 1990s-era email was pecked out with the caps lock accidentally depressed.  Triggering an immediate “sorry for yelling” follow up email to the recipient dizzied by the digital decibels.

As a history major, I have a vague recollection that all caps was reserved, historically speaking, for really really important stuff.  Say, for example, when by some amazing feat of mathematical magic, we manage to put folks on the moon —

 

Or when we achieve other historic firsts —

 

 

To be sure, all caps is most assuredly not always celebratory in nature; equally appropriate when something horrible has happened —

 

 

Or something horribly important happens —

 

 

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I miss those days. 

THOSE DAYS ARE GONE, APPARENTLY.  Instead, now we have stuff like this —

All of which is hard on the eyes.  Rough on the ears.  Tough on the soul.

But every now and then, once in a blue moon, someone indulges my All Caps Nostalgia with a spot-on all caps deployment.  

All caps, dead?  MAYBE NOT….

Thanks for reading.