STORM2K

Also, they may learn how to use a comma.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTc32qBpAk[/youtube]

NOUS41 KWBC DDHHMM
PNSWSH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT…COMMENT REQUEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
115 PM EDT FRI MAY 28 2010

TO: SUBSCRIBERS:
-FAMILY OF SERVICES
-NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE
-EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK
-NOAAPORT
OTHER NWS PARTNERS…AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM: JASON TUELL
ACTING CHIEF…PERFORMANCE AND AWARENESS DIVISION

SUBJECT: Soliciting Public Comments Through September 15 2010
On Proposed Change To Mixed Case And Expanded
Character Set In All Nws Text Products

REFERENCE: SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 10-28 ON USE OF UPPER AND
LOWERCASE LETTERS IN NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION
STATEMENTS…SERVICE CHANGE AND TECHNICAL
IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES IN EFFECTIVE AUGUST 16 2010

BEGINNING MAY 28 AND CONTINUING THROUGH SEPTEMBER 15 2010…
NWS IS SEEKING USER FEEDBACK ON THE PROPOSAL TO CHANGE ALL NWS TEXT PRODUCTS TO INCLUDE UPPER AND LOWER CASE ALPHABETIC CHARACTERS RATHER THAN ALL UPPERCASE AS IS PRESENTLY DONE. ADDITIONAL PUNCTUATION AND OTHER CHARACTERS THAT ARE PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL REFERENCE ALPHABET NO. 5 WOULD ALSO BE PERMITTED.

MANY NWS PARTNERS AND USERS HAVE IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR NWS TEXT PRODUCTS /WATCH /WARNING /ADVISORY /STATEMENT /FORECAST /ENVIRONMENTAL DATA/ TO BE PROVIDED IN MIXED CASE AND TO INCLUDE AN EXPANDED PUNCTUATION AND CHARACTER SET. THIS CHANGE WOULD MAKE TEXT PRODUCTS EASIER TO READ AND ALLOW USERS TO CLICK ON INTERNET LINKS DIRECTLY RATHER THAN CONVERTING THEM TO LOWERCASE OR MIXED CASE.

PLEASE SEE SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 10-28 FOR DETAILS ON RELATED CHANGES TO PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS… SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES AND TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES WITH THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION /WMO/ HEADING OF NOUS41 KWBC AND AWIPS IDENTIFIER OF PNSWSH. CHANGES TO THOSE MESSAGES PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A RISK REDUCTION EFFORT IN A NON-OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND FOR VALUABLE USER FEEDBACK.

THE NWS IS SEEKING COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK THROUGH SEPTEMBER 15 2010 AT:

http://www.weather.gov/survey/nws-survey.php?code=mixed-case

NWS WILL KEEP THE SURVEY AND COMMENT FORM OPEN INDEFINITELY TO TRACK USER ISSUES AND COMMENTS OF THIS TRANSITION. USER FEEDBACK WILL HELP NWS BETTER PLAN THE EVENTUAL TRANSITION OF ALL NWS TEXT PRODUCTS TO MIXED CASE AND EXPANDED CHARACTER SET.

ADDITIONAL NOTICES AND STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS USER FEEDBACK IS ANALYZED AND PROGRESS IS MADE IN PLANNING FOR TRANSITION OF OTHER NWS PRODUCTS.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS… PLEASE CONTACT:

HERB WHITE
NWS DISSEMINATION SERVICES MANAGER
1325 EAST WEST HIGHWAY
SILVER SPRING MD 20910
HERBERT.WHITE@NOAA.GOV
301-713-0090 EXT. 146

My first thought is that it isn't that important to me if they use all caps or not. Other thought is that it may be faster for them to type in all caps. (I'm sure that they, for the most part, aren't typists.

It's a holdover from the old Teletype Days when Caps were all you had for the letter keys. Has nothing to do with being good or bad typists since it's all done on Computers these days.

Steve

I really don't care, either way is fine with me. I also like the use of "...", it is better than commas at breaking up areas of data or text...especially when all caps is present. It'll be hard to believe those are real NWS statements when they are no longer in all caps.

Another thing is, I've never had any issues with the all caps links? I just click on them and it goes straight to the webpage (with the URL in lower caps automatically).

While I know the all-caps is a relic of a bygone day, it's going to take some getting used to if they do make the change

I could not imagine reading my local weather report in lower case. It just seems like it would be wrong to write it any other way.