Use Lower Case Text on Your Web Pages

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TAXES, MONEY, AND FINANCE

IF WE BELIEVE CAESAR'S COMMENTARIES ON THE GALLIC WAR, THE GAULS WERE GROANING IN HIS TIME UNDER THE PRESSURE OF TAXATION, AND STRUGGLED HARD TO REMOVE IT. ROME LIGHTENED THEIR BURDEN; BUT THE FISCAL SYSTEM OF THE METROPOLIS IMPERCEPTIBLY TOOK ROOT IN ALL THE ROMAN PROVINCES. THERE WAS AN ARBITRARY PERSONAL TAX, CALLED THE POLL TAX, AND A LAND TAX WHICH WAS NAMED CENS, CALCULATED ACCORDING TO THE AREA OF THE HOLDING. BESIDES THESE, THERE WERE TAXES ON ARTICLES OF CONSUMPTION, ON SALT, ON THE IMPORT AND EXPORT OF ALL ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE, ON SALES BY AUCTION; ALSO ON MARRIAGES, ON BURIALS, AND ON HOUSES. THERE WERE ALSO LEGACY AND SUCCESSION DUTIES, AND TAXES ON SLAVES, ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMBER. TOLLS ON HIGHWAYS WERE ALSO CREATED; AND THE TREASURY WENT SO FAR AS TO TAX THE HEARTH.

Taxes, Money, and Finance

If we believe Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, the Gauls were groaning in his time under the pressure of taxation, and struggled hard to remove it. Rome lightened their burden; but the fiscal system of the metropolis imperceptibly took root in all the Roman provinces. There was an arbitrary personal tax, called the poll tax, and a land tax which was named cens, calculated according to the area of the holding. Besides these, there were taxes on articles of consumption, on salt, on the import and export of all articles of merchandise, on sales by auction; also on marriages, on burials, and on houses. There were also legacy and succession duties, and taxes on slaves, according to their number. Tolls on highways were also created; and the treasury went so far as to tax the hearth.

Source: The Project Gutenberg EBook of Manners, Custom and Dress During the Middle Ages and During the Renaissance Period, by Paul Lacroix. Modifed to illustrate web usability principles.

Person yelling into a megaphone

Usability Tip

Don't use all-caps.

Not only does the use of all upper case text reduce reading comprehension by up to 90%, it is interpreted by many as the text equivalent of yelling. Use headers to call out different sections, and bold or italicized text to add emphasis within a block of text.

About the Author

UUA Web Team, Information Technology Services

The Web Team develops and manages UUA web sites and applications including UUA.org and UUWorld.org and several custom-built applications like our ministry search and congregational certification systems.

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