Hacker News Reader

Comment by valtron | Hacker News Reader

I distinguish between chat/non-chat writing, and I don't use periods in chats. For example, I'll usually say things like this:

  me> i'm gonna give up on GTA IV
  me> just can't get into it
  me> especially after playing V

Non-chat, this would look like:

  I'm gonna give up on GTA IV; I just can't get into it, especially after playing V.

I guess I find "chat writing" (period-less) more amenable to quick, back-and-forth conversation.

View on HN

> 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.

especially since in these languages, periods are usually followed by a continuation in the idea.

A 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.

"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

Yes, 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.

How can a hermaphrodite be a transvestite?

I think a lot of us who're heavy into IRC/IM have developed this habit, but it's important to be conscious of it and recognize that the "enter key is not punctuation", as one /topic puts it. I agree that in some contexts it is more effective to write that way, but it's a habit that can come back to bite you if you do it in the wrong context.

Or the dash-heavy version you always run into once or twice a day (and bugs me):

I'm gonna give up on GTA IV - I just can't get into it - especially after playing V

Reply on news.ycombinator.com