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> I'm gonna give up on GTA IV; I just can't get into it, especially after playing V. You know, I've always attributed the increased frequency of semicolons in
by mistercow 13y ago
> I'm gonna give up on GTA IV; I just can't get into it, especially after playing V.
You know, I've always attributed the increased frequency of semicolons in the writing of coders (my own included) to their commonness in programming languages, but I wonder if period-aversion among the tech savvy is a factor as well.
There's nothing wrong with using a period in that line instead of a semicolon, yet I would probably punctuate it the same way if I were writing it. Periods feel monotonous and final, and that can't be attributed to C-style languages alone.
- dnautics 13y agoespecially since in these languages, periods are usually followed by a continuation in the idea.
- cookiecaper 13y agoA semicolon is different than a period in that it carries the connotation that the adjacent clause is a continuation or modification of the idea introduced by its immediate predecessor, not a separate thought (regarding the same topic, lest a new paragraph begin). I don't think it has much to do with the commonality of the glyph in code, where ; usually represents a conclusion, not a continuation. It may simply be that coders and/or internet-savvy readers have more exposure to writing that utilizes semicolons and they obtain the habit by osmosis.
- beambot 13y ago"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college." --Kurt Vonnegut
- cookiecaper 13y agoYes, I've heard this before. But I do find use for semicolons, and I appreciate their use in works by other authors. Kurt Vonnegut is (was) not obligated to use them. And I've never been to college.
- termain 13y agoHow can a hermaphrodite be a transvestite?