[smak]

i was wondering if there is any way to disable the way my 8700r automatically capitalizes the first letter of my scentences for me..

[jasonoh]

i asked the same thing, but apparently there's no way to do that. the only workaround is to delete the letter capitalized and retype it, at which point it will be lowercase. not clean, but workable.

cheers,
j

[NJBlackBerry]

I figure that many people, and all professionals (with the exception of poet e e cummings), like the capitalization since it is part of standard writing...

I don't think there is a way to disable this.

[jasonoh]

so the implication you're making is that everyone who doesn't capitalize is not "professional"? as with all blanket generalizations and stereotypes, simply not true. besides, people may use blackberries in non-work capacities as well.

[NJBlackBerry]

I made no such statement.
In any event, you can't disable it.

[jasonoh]

of course you didn't. that's the definition of an implication.

"to involve or indicate by inference, association, or necessary consequence rather than by direct statement"

let's please just stop this absurdity here and call it even. we can pretend we're both right.

[cooperpwc]

Originally Posted by jasonoh

so the implication you're making is that everyone who doesn't capitalize is not "professional"? as with all blanket generalizations and stereotypes, simply not true. besides, people may use blackberries in non-work capacities as well.

Okay, since you have a chip on your shoulder that presents an opening for me to jump in.
Email, while opening enormous possibilities, has made a very negative contribution to the English language. In a day and age when your typical university graduate writes at a level that would have been considered unaceptable for grade 11 just thirty years ago, the casual nature of email has made it even more acceptable to ignore grammar in the interests of expedience or, as you seem to 'imply', self-expression. Self-expression in English once meant the clever use of language. Today it's increasingly used as a flimsy cover for laziness or outright illiteracy. So as an unapologetic language snob, I must reject your 'personal use' argument. The Blackberry was designed to facilitate ease of communication. Hence the auto-capitalising. It was probably not of concern to the designers that it insufficiently accomodates those that wish to indulge in poor communication.
BTW NJBlackberry shouldn't have backed down. Professionals do ALL use capitals unless they suffer from language competence issues.
Just my two cents of course.

[NJBlackBerry]

I backed down because as a Moderator on this board, I am held to a different standard. Since some people tend to take disagreements and opinions as personal attacks, I have basically just given up. Their opinion is valuable input and mine is an attack.

I am NOT saying that was the case here, just in some other cases.

I concur with your comments. I have a recent college graduate working for me and I have to send him to basic business writing classes. His grammer and sentence structure is terrible.

[schulzmc10]

Originally Posted by NJBlackBerry

His grammer and sentence structure is terrible.

You were kidding, right? You meant grammar, of course.

[NJBlackBerry]

I almost spelled sentence wrong also as a second clue, but I didnt <sic>

[foner]

jasonoh, do you have any idea how silly you sound?
Take the time to become familiar with the forum and its contributors and you will recognize the droll postings of a 7000+ posted/ 2 year forum moderator.

Welcome to the forum! Sincerely!!

[Steve]

Wirelessly posted (Cingular-Blue 7290: BlackBerry7290/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/101)

The only way to get lowercase text for the 1st character is to use autotext with specified case. Once you figure out what words you tend to start your sentences with, you might be able to build your autotext library.

I remember 10-15 years ago where people were being told to use lowercase text for email addresses. Many folks carried that over to the subject and body of the email. My dad was one; he used a typewriter for years and would fly along and used the shift-keys correctly. Now, I still try to remind him it's okay to capitalize in email.

Steve

[smak]

thanks steve very helpful suggestion. i'll be looking into it. have been just deleting and retyping letters uptill this point.

you guys are a riot heh..

personally, i prefer the choice to communicate in a non formal format is all..

[rcbjr]

One of the things I find proper capitalization useful for is the separation os sentences. With the current trend to change the rule of having two spaces following a period, and people who think it's cool, and not just lazy, not to capatalze the first character, it makes it much harder to understand what the writer is trying to express. Sentance separation is nessary for proper understanding and not capitalizing makes it that much harder, even in casual communications. And I find that things that people do in casual communication, tend to bleed over into their other communication a
eventually. Sometimes with disastrous results for their careers.

Just my $0.02.
Rcbjr

[cooperpwc]

Originally Posted by rcbjr

And I find that things that people do in casual communication, tend to bleed over into their other communication eventually.

Well put. Compartmentalised laziness doesn't tend to stay compartmentalised. Unfortunately it's the bad habits that usually win.