From: utzoo!decvax!duke!unc!mcnc!rlgvax!thekid
Newsgroups: net.flame
Title: small is better
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.1073
Posted: Tue Feb 22 13:52:49 1983
Received: Thu Feb 24 08:08:35 1983



yes, i would tend to agree with that a (semi) skilled reader
uses cues like word-shape, punctuation and case.  however, good
readers do not read single words, they read groups of words, often
on several sentences at the same time.  this allows not only faster
reading (i don't know what the limits are, i've been tested at
1200 words per minute, with 80% comprehension, and i know people
who are much faster than i am) but faster "thinking" in that you
learn to ignore words that are insignificant in terms of the idea
to be communicated.  thus, the more skilled the reader the less
such `flouting' of conventions will slow them down.  this has a
logical conclusion, someone who reads very poorly needs far more
`clues' to ascertain the meaning of the sentence, i.e. needs the
fact that a word is capitalized to be sure of its meaning.
admittedly, if one is "reading" a spec for the downloading of a new
line protocol, one does not "read", one does something else, i'm
not sure what.  in such a case the document must have been prepared
following an exact set of rules...  which if you'll re-read my first
message i never argued against.

second point, true, ee cummings' poetry is another issue.  but ALL
writing is an art form.  contrast the books of Hemingway, Faulkner,
Maugham etc.  with a copy of the Monarch study notes for same.  both
document the same ideas, one does it beautifully/artistically, one
lists them.  i am often more interested in how an idea is stated
than in the idea itself.  needless to say, this applies (although
to a lesser extent) to technical papers too.  since the net is as
much non-technical as technical, it certainly applies here.

finally, i use all lower-case when i type for a very practical
reason ...  IT IS FASTER!  my typing tends not to linger as far
behind my thinking, so i can communicate ideas/feelings more effectively.

personal mail so far is: 1 for lower-case, 0 against.
keep those cards and letters coming!

		thekid
		...!decvax!duke!mcnc!rlgvax!thekid