Becky's Reviews > Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

I'm undecided as to whether I'm a punctuationally-challenged heathen, or if I qualify as a stickler. I have no formal training (other than my school years) pertaining to punctuation, and if you were to ask me to define the rules pertaining to when a semicolon should be used, I'd probably guess at something close to right... maybe.

Ugh, and see: I'm an ellipses junkie! It's unacceptable, since I am not a famous author who can break the rules with impunity.

However, many of the rules of good punctuation use are common sense (at least I think so) and so I think I edge into the stickler zone. It bothers me when grammar and punctuation are mangled, but especially when it's mangled by someone being paid to get it right. Although, even more frustrating is when people defend the mangled "writing" as though it doesn't matter at all. Because it does matter. IT DOES.

There was some really interesting info in here, and I especially liked the historical info regarding invention and usage of punctuation over time. Good stuff. But otherwise, it was kind of like preaching to the choir. I already appreciate and like punctuation - so really what I got out of this was a history lesson and a future warning that if we continue on our txtbsd way, that our punctuation may go the way of the Dodo bird. Which would be sad... but maybe that day will wait until I either go blind or die. *Fingers crossed!*