I'm surprised they didn't mention the controversial Vonnegut advice to never use semicolons (e.g., [1]). [1] https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/vonnegut...
Who probably also advised to never listen to advice from successful authors.
The melancholy decline of the semicolon
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Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#32Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#33If you’re a good enough writer to know how to property use a semicolon, you’re a good enough writer to not need to use one.
And, possibly, a good enough writer to know that just because you don't need to do something doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.
Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#34I am seeing a use of the instruments that seems quite confused.
The semicolon is part of the division of the expression of thought in supersets and subsets of structural affinity: comma, semicolon, period, new paragraph. (Which also means that the semicolon has a necessary role in general: whenever the structure is best defined also using that level of affinity.)
The dash, the colon and the brackets are instead related to the modality of relation: the colon to express dependency, the dash to provide detail, the brackets to insert a note parallel to the main flow.
(Note: there is also a sub-function of the semicolon to separate list items. I did not use it in the paragraph just above as I intended to exploit the "nuclear" aspect of comma-separated list items, but that is a rhetorical option and the semicolon would have been necessary for more complex items.)
Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#35Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#36And no fucks; were given.
Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
> to not need to use one Why should one avoid using it.
Because people have a problem with punctuation?
> people have a problem with punctuation
What do you mean?
I hope it's not something like "[some] people are confused by numbers, so avoid numbers". Of course (special contexts aside), those people should fix their problem with numbers, and whenever numbers are useful or duly for the purpose of communication, they should be there. The same for punctuation or any other function.
Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#38I’ve read some shelves in my life, and from a reader’s perspective a good read has never made me think about what punctuation the author used. This is an inside nonsense which only worries idling writers and critics.
Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#39I find it amusing that programmers use semicolons more often then writers.
Re: The melancholy decline of the semicolon
#40Ah, the colon. To misquote Denis Leary, never use a punctuation symbol named after part of your ass. And then the semicolon. Half-assed by name, half-assed by nature.