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Subject:
From:
Martin Eastburn <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Conchologists List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 11 Nov 2016 14:24:36 -0600
Content-Type:
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I've watched the onslaught on the proper language for almost 70 years.

The Typewriter was a quill pen as compared.  It was in both levels, 
capitals and lowers and symbols but lacked electronic transmission to 
another.

Then the Teletype/TWIX as the 'automatic' mode of information workhorse. 
The Teletype was all caps.  The hammers would bludgeon the rolls of low 
cost paper through ink laden silk making a saturated image.  (I'm the 
owner of one now).  A Teletype KSR33  for Keyboard, Send and Receive 
machine.  Paper tape and all.

Then we started to have the computer revolution.  I don't mean the Apple 
or the Pet or the first personal
the MITS Altair - but the mini's.   Digital Equipment (DEC) brought out 
the PDP 8 and ...  mostly scientific units and the Data General 16 bit 
(I taught Electronic Engineers  on how to write machine code on these) 
took most of the business needs with IBM.

The Mini's used massive printers that could dump a box of paper in a few 
minutes.  Often they were
Upper case only for speed.  The large drums or bands would take extra 
time to whorl around for a lower case.  Speed was needed. Lower case 
wasn't.

The micro's started with upper case video screens due to the electronics 
in the font chip design.
They used Teletypes as keyboards and printers.

Then fancy memories allowed lower letters.  Monitors or VKT, Video, 
Keyboard Terminal with proper text could be generated.  Printers moved 
to exotic daisy wheels that move fast and were letter perfect.  Think 
Xerox and Queme for those.

Word processing programs were developed and offset printing began to die 
in offices.

Then the commercial printers started killing letters and spaces. Double 
spaces are gone - Money.  Time and now space is Money!  Add letter size 
to the Money list - bold and capitals use more ink

Very basic grammar of capitalization is being stripped due to the extra 
effort to PRESS the shift key.

I think the editors of book/journal/magazine/newspaper/... are promoting 
all lowercase as the time progresses.

Martin

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