I've wondered about this for a while and thought I'd run it past you -
I've always had a hard time capitalizing even my first name. I think it seems like I'm talking loud or bragging.
Does anyone else feel this way? I know it's silly and it's just another way my low self esteem rears it's ugly head, but I wonder how much others equate it with self confidence or lack thereof.

That’s probably a cultural thang – we’ve run across others who feel the same way you do, and it’s purely a matter of perception. If it jangles your sensibility, don’t do it; think of ee cummings.

Just remember that when others do use caps, it’s not necessarily because they feel emboldened. Now, using all caps is a different story…

I disagree. I chose my username and all its capitals to indicate that I say that every day and it was meant to be funny. (Your title said "nick" so I think you were referring to "nickname")

Now, using all caps is a different story…<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Indeed I am referring to nicknames EYEFORGOT.
And Stabile, I only meant that I feel that way about using caps on my own name and nick, I would never assume to guess what other's thought processes are.
That's why I asked :D
I don't know if culture is the answer though...afterall, I was raised in a family within a town of people withing a packed state in a crammed country, and I didn't notice many others that didn't capitalize their first names.
I have almost no self-esteem, and I wondered if levels of self-esteem effected anyone else's caps choices here.

Holy Mackeral!! The president of the organization where I used to work ALWAYS signed his emails that way! I never liked it, and I thought it looked SO UNPROFESSIONAL! (However, I was a total "nobody" there, so - nobody really was too concerned about what I thought. . . ) But it's interesting to me that YOU do that and the REASON that you do it, or feel like doing it (non-capitalizing the first letter of your name). Do you have a prestigious position in some part of your life that you possibly feel embarrassed about?? (Just wonderin'. . . )

I never thought about it that much. I just guess I'm PROUD that I know some of the "rules of grammar." (I worked VERY HARD to learn those damn rules! And NOW I discover that nobody actually gives a hoot!! MY TEACHERS LIED!!)

I've had more attention put on me than I'm comfortable with in some areas of my life. I think you may be on to something there because I've always been very shy (in real life :D).
And don't you think that your proper punctuation is wasted! It allows us to read your posts at a nice flow without being tripped up by bad grammar. :)