Xref: utzoo alt.folklore.computers:7100 comp.misc:10567
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!bbn.com!nic!chaos.cs.brandeis.edu!PARKS@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU
From: parks@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Coding in lowercase - references?
Message-ID: <0093FC00.24D7FA00@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU>
Date: 15 Nov 90 17:45:12 GMT
References: <20517.273e9e6b@merrimack.edu>
Sender: @chaos.cs.brandeis.edu
Reply-To: parks@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU
Organization: Brandeis University
Lines: 19

>Some time ago, on one of these groups, yet another discussion occurred
>on whether programs should be coded in upper or lower or even mixed
>case letters.  Someone claimed that lower case was better, because our
>eyes are more trained ("used to") to lowercase letters -- does anyone
>have a reference for this, or any related studies?

     Well, I haven't a reference for this, but, hey, this is
alt.FOLKLORE.computers, so why should I let a lack of hard facts slow
me down.  :^)
     The way I remember the story, IBM did a study on the comparative
readabilities of upper- and lower-case text.  It was found that lower-
case text was the more readable, so they figured to do everything in
lower-case (this would have been in the days of card punchers 8-O and
those had but one case available).  The punch-line (heh heh) to this
story is that someone asked what they would do for the word "God".
ZAP!  Better to have GOD than god, so EVERYTHING will be done in upper-
case.

			Camden "Snake-Oil" Parks