Minimal Capitalization

July 22nd, 2011
capitalization
In informal writing I capitalize only two things: the beginnings of sentences and the word 'I'. This style is called "minimal capitalization" [1] and has several advantages. The primary advantage is that it is a good tradeoff between minimizing use of the 'shift' key while still allowing sentence breaks to be clear. Other advantages include not needing to take sides in various arguments that use capitalization as a battleground, simplifying the process of writing by not needing to consider whether a noun is proper, and being the appropriate next step in a tradition of capitalization reducing orthographic reforms dating back to the 18th century.

Update 2012-01-06: I've mostly stopped doing this. I have some budget for nonconformity in readers minds, and why should I waste it on capitalization?

Referenced in:

Comment via: google plus, facebook, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

Ozy at LessOnline!

I will once again be a guest at LessOnline, alongside many other writers whom you no doubt like less than you like me: Scott Alexander, dynomight, Georgia Ray, David Friedman, Nicholas Decker, Jacob Falkovich, Kelsey Piper, Alicorn, Aella, etc.

via Thing of Things March 23, 2026

Daycares and the Brown School

As someone in Somerville I notice that there are quite high prices regarding childcare. The average family in Somerville pays $1,100 to $3,500 for daycare per month, and I want to make the costs more affordable. I have also noticed that housing is quite …

via Lily Wise's Blog Posts March 22, 2026

2025-26 New Year review

This is an annual post reviewing the last year and setting intentions for next year. I look over different life areas (work, health, parenting, effectiveness, etc) and analyze my life tracking data. Highlights include a minimal group house, the usefulness…

via Victoria Krakovna January 19, 2026

more     (via openring)