AFAIK most computer keyboards don't have em dashes. Rather than hit ALT+0151 every time, I've always just strung along two hyphens, like: -- Absolutely proper and correct use of em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens is, to me, the most obvious tell of the LLM writer. In fact, I think that you can use it to date internet writing in general. For it seems to me that real em dashes were uncommon pre-2022.
I disagree—LLMs don't use them properly. They always put a space between the words before – and after – the dashed part.
How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
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Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#102AFAIK most computer keyboards don't have em dashes. Rather than hit ALT+0151 every time, I've always just strung along two hyphens, like: -- Absolutely proper and correct use of em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens is, to me, the most obvious tell of the LLM writer. In fact, I think that you can use it to date internet writing in general. For it seems to me that real em dashes were uncommon pre-2022.
Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
This test feels biased by the fact that, like others have said, macOS provides keyboard shortcuts. For example, I'm only Gen Z and yet have tried for many years to use the proper dash characters in the right places, which is made much easier by virtue of being on a Mac. Of course, I guess it's entirely possible—even accounting for OS—that this test remains statistically useful. It makes me kinda sad that my (very muc…
On iPhone, type two hyphens to make an em dash: -- into — If OP wrote their post on an iPhone, they would have inadvertently appeared as an LLM by their own test.
Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#104I refuse to care about this. A single dash is all I will ever use. I see no possible reason to use the other two.
It's not like you can reliably write these consistently by hand either without going over the top in length to make it extremely obvious.
Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#105I refuse to care about this. A single dash is all I will ever use. I see no possible reason to use the other two.
i really like using em dashes -- for some reason, it feels "better" in my head than using something like a comma or a semi-colon.
Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#106Somewhat off topic, however, I'm thoroughly convinced that there is a very high probability something is AI generated when I see Em dashes. Anyone else noticing this? ChatGPT for example almost always uses them. I'm sure they are more common in academic writing, but its now super common on boards like Reddit.
Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#107AFAIK most computer keyboards don't have em dashes. Rather than hit ALT+0151 every time, I've always just strung along two hyphens, like: -- Absolutely proper and correct use of em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens is, to me, the most obvious tell of the LLM writer. In fact, I think that you can use it to date internet writing in general. For it seems to me that real em dashes were uncommon pre-2022.
Imagine being an NPC (a human bot), flattering yourself with the thought that people who understand the language are language bots...
Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#108I refuse to care about this. A single dash is all I will ever use. I see no possible reason to use the other two.
Throwing my hat in here. The sub millimeter difference in the length of a dash conveys no additional meaning or clarity. It is impossible to argue me out of this position. It's not like you can reliably write these consistently by hand either without going over the top in length to make it extremely obvious.
Re: How to Use Em Dashes (–), En Dashes (–), and Hyphens (-)
#109AFAIK most computer keyboards don't have em dashes. Rather than hit ALT+0151 every time, I've always just strung along two hyphens, like: -- Absolutely proper and correct use of em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens is, to me, the most obvious tell of the LLM writer. In fact, I think that you can use it to date internet writing in general. For it seems to me that real em dashes were uncommon pre-2022.