Re: Readability---initial caps?

["Kenneth M. Nuckols" <knuck -at- BESTBUY -dot- COM>]

At 07:15 AM 6/14/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Please forgive the cross-posting.  I vaguely remember a similar topic being
>discussed on one of these lists (TECHWR-L, copyediting-l, utest) over a
>year ago but <snivel> I didn't save the discussion.  Now the issue has
>become critical on a tight-deadline project, and I have nothing to back up
>my opinion except --- er, um --- vague memories.

>The project:  a PowerPoint presentation with 45 slides


>The issue:

>The graphic artist on the project believes that projected text (overheads
>and computer displays) is remembered better if  -all-  significant words
>(everything except articles and short prepositions) have initial caps.  He
>bases this on many years of experience designing and presenting visual
>materials to diverse audiences.

>The writer (me) believes that while  -titles-  look good with every word
>initial-capped,  -body text-  should follow standard usage:  only proper
>nouns and first-word-in-sentence should be capped.

Kat,

        Upon reading your post, I quickly consulted a text for a speech
class I taught in my recent past life as an adjunct English instructor.  A
scan of the chapter on visual aids was not much help.  It seems that on most
of the slides that are reproduced, however, the convention is to write body
text following standard rules of capitalization.  Exceptions are maps or
diagrams with callouts where items tend to be written in ALLCAPS--hmm.
Unfortunately, the book fails to mention specifically how text in slides or
captions for graphs or charts or photos should be rendered; however, I would
tend to agree with you.
        If you have access to it by some chance, the text is entitled *The
Art of Public Speaking* Fifth Edition, by Stephen E. Lucas.  Sorry I
couldn't lend much more than moral support.  Good luck...

Ken
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Kenneth M. Nuckols                             Best Buy Co, Inc.
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