Hi Janice,
Whilst we're having a swingin' time at the skule lab, we might as well point out that, at SI, punctuation errors are more common than any other type of infraction (barring perhaps, illegal use of sense when investing).
Computer keyboards aid and abet these crimes as they are not properly set up to conveniently implement correct punctuation. I'm as guilty as any other, and I promise to make a more concerted effort toward 'punctuative correctness' if for no other reason than to not have you point a finger at me on the FBN thread.
Strictly speaking, the following are evils which no proper publication would ever produce (pick any book or magazine):
1. Quotes are not " ", they are “ ”.
" is allowable when expressing a measurement: The stick is 9" long.
The same logic applies for ‘ ’, and ' '.
2. A pause is not two hyphens (--), it is the em-dash, —.
Another dash type is the en-dash which is longer than a hyphen and shorter than an em-dash. It is used when expressing a range such as time: 9am – 10am.
3. Sentences should not be followed by two periods. This is an old throwback to high-school typing class and the Smith-Corona age. Typewriters do not employ proportional fonts so the use of two spaces became a necessary evil. The world of proper publishing, computer-aided or otherwise, uses one space at the end of a sentence.
As I mentioned before, being proper is not an easy task, but since taht is teh focus of tihs forum, here ’tis:
You must invoke the Holy Code of ASCII. Type an ampersand (&). Type a pound sign (#). Type the relevant code number (151, 146, …). If I show you in the literal sense, it won't display my instructional intent so ignore the periods I've inserted; do not add spaces.
Quotes: &.#.147 produces “. 148 produces it's companion.
Dashes: &.#.151 produces —, the em-dash. The en-dash uses 150.
Extra bonus: the ellipsis: no, it's not three periods, it's &.#.133 …
Making matters more difficult is the fact that if you edit your post after submitting it, you must go back and re-enter the ASCII codes—they don't carry over.
Are we through, yet?
-MrB |
