[AaronBurns]

If computer Web sites would allow numbers to be added as upper or lower case then they could add more passwords or names. Maybe we need case sensitive numbers for phones phone numbers or email addresses so that we could add what we wanted since, when we pick a password, the Web site will tell us it has been used and assigns us a different unwanted one. We could use it for new 1-800 numbers as well. Of course this would mean adding more buttons to phones or just one button to switch the whole phone to upper or lower case sensitive numbers or letters. We are running out of letters and numbers with the rising population and this will definitely be necessary and in twenty years when we will have about 25 billion people on Earth all using confusing number and letter combinations to access everything and then what do they do. The new numbers or symbols are needed now and in the future.

Reward: Credit

[Steve]

What would be the difference between an uppercase and a lowercase number?

[AaronBurns]

Usually when you have a grouping of something like letters and numbers you have only so many choices to use without getting rediculous. So, the change in the numbers is just a way to still use numbers (Since it is a ((standard)) form of information) but, to alter them in some way.
Lower case just means that that are different or have been altered but, are still usable. You could change them in some other way too but, to make them the same but different then, you still can use them but, they serve a different but, usable purpose (Maybe).
If you change them too much they simply become symbolic rather than staying numbers so, I guess the lower case numbers can be seen visually as smaller numbers which would still be useable as numbers but, with a new use or purpose.

[Steve]

Aaron, actually I believe you are on the wrong track here. Are you aware that, by just using uppercase letters and a 7-digit combination (as used in toll free numbers), there are 4,5 billion combinations? For a 8-character password (usually frowned upon because passwords should be longer!) or a similar user name just using upper and lowercase letters, there are a stunning 28,000 billion combinations. Combine that with numbers to boost it to 128,000 billion.

The actual problem is that there are only soandso many usable words in every language, and since we are lazy and want something we can easily memorize, most of the password/username space goes wasted. But I can't see how adding an additional layer of complication would increase the number of convenient usernames or passwords.

[AaronBurns]

Yah, but?!
Just imagine if we added nothing but symbolic languages out of different sizes and shapes for new programming languages.
Wait a minute...getting something.... they all ready do that. Ha,ha,ha!

[Steve]

Just imagine if we added nothing but symbolic languages out of different sizes and shapes for new programming languages.

Sure, we could already do that. Or make circular keyboards. Or triangular doors. How about books where the text is shuffled instead of in a straight order? Definitely doable - and I'm not kidding, anything in that direction may be fun and creative. One aspect of the Creativity Pool is about purpose and problem-solving though - read the "Rejection Reasons" sticky paragraph "The idea solves a non-existing problem" - such ideas either go in here or into the "Sea of Chaos" forum.

[AaronBurns]

We are running out of all standard phone numbers every where around the World. We just need to add an extra button to our phones to have the lower case numbers. Then we have any amount of combos of upper and lower case numbers we want and we would never run out of them.
If you just check cell phone numbers and the different 1-800 numbers, you could see that we, really, are running out and there is no solution, yet, except mine.

[Steve]

Well, but that's the good thing with numbers - if there's not enough room, just add another digit and you have 10-fold the numbers you had before. Much more convenient than if from now on you have to say "uppercase" or "lowercase" with every number, and answer all the wrong calls where someone accidentially took an uppercase for a lowercase number or vice versa. (That, on the other side, would be good for the phone companies and increase consumer spending - but maybe not in a way that's ideal. )

By the way, the 1-800 numbers that are most demanded can be resolved to certain words, like 1-800-BUYTHIS. So I don't quite see how two different sets of numbers would increase the good toll free numbers available for US businesses.