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Geek Culture / Do you think coders use more punctuation marks....?

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RougeCat
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 21:43
Do you think that coders use more punctuation marks when they type up an article or for the matter say any document, than the normal people? Discuss.....


Well if anyone's wondering why this thread, well actually I got into this discussion with a fellow coder when I was helping him out with some doc. So thought why not poste it here n get some opinion on it coz we both couldnt really figure out why? But this is true though!
Van B
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 21:50
I think it has more to do with whatever writing experience you have after school - like if you go to college or university on any IT related course you tend to get taught how to write technical documents. If anything I'd say I use too few full-stops, and too many commas and ' - ' dashes. I remember having an argument with an old boss about full stops and how many spaces should go after them. I said 2 spaces after a full stop (he said 1 space), 1 space after a comma - damn he was pissed when he called a friend to settle the argument and he agreed with me .


Van-B


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RougeCat
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 22:05
Lol!

Well I was more in the lines of thinking coders use more of punctuation marks coz they get to use a lot of it when they code. Like for instance "," is one that is widely used in any code. Be it in C,C++,DBPro or DB.
Dave J
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 22:08
I remember having a discussion with ApexNow about how many spaces should go after a full stop when we were writing the DBP Tutorials for the site. Two spaces after a full stop is correct and originated in Typing courses for the old typewriters, I believe it's meant to distinguish between abbreviations (I.e. i.e. ) and the end of a sentance. From memory it was also a requirement for the formatting of an exam for an RSA course on Typing, so it was quite important to use 2 spaces after the full stop. Of course, lately you'll find 99% of people only do the single space, it's no longer taught in most schools and frankly, it's simply quicker doing just one space instead of two.


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Wiggett
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 22:14
Wow, I've always just used one. I guess I will have to change my pirate ways. One thing I've always tried to make sure is that my I's were in capitols when they should be. Anyone else pick up on my new spacing?

Dave J
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 22:31
Quote: "Anyone else pick up on my new spacing?"


...You're still using single spacing! o_O


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Wiggett
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 22:36
negateeeve! I was using double spaces after the '.'s and single spacing after the ','s. It either formats it or just doesn't look like it's double.

RougeCat
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 22:38
I usually use double spaces after every period when I write up an article or a document. It just looks nicer that way. Well organised.
Van B
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 22:53
be. Anyone
be._Anyone

Yup, just one space .


Van-B


Muhahahahaha.
bitJericho
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 23:29 Edited at: 1st Oct 2004 23:30
it's probably because in HTML you can only use one space, because of the way HTML works Unless of course, you were to use &nbsp but that won't work here on the forums, as I'm sure any html is printed literally or not at all.

[edit]Nevermind it does work.  I'm shocked!  No really!

BatVink
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 23:38
of course we always use more punctuation because we are all very literate and our grammar is perfect always fully punctuate everything and ensure all optional words are actually included and never abbr'te or anythig silly and spel checking is a top priority txt style wrds are a no no cos we know how hrd that is to read so i suggest you take your argument elsewhere and dont ask silly questions again

Thank You.

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hyrichter
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 23:39 Edited at: 2nd Oct 2004 04:47
I always use two spaces. It just looks better, and it's how I learned to type. Just using one space makes your sentences look crowded. I also put a space between paragraphs.

Heh, my father is an English teacher, so maybe that's why I automatically put in the proper punctuation as I type.

Edit: Crap, it took out all my double spaces!

Van B
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Posted: 1st Oct 2004 23:46
Hehe, damn HTML and it's stupidties - sorry Rob, I thought you were loosing it then (even more than usual ).


Van-B


Muhahahahaha.
TKF15H
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 00:46 Edited at: 2nd Oct 2004 00:47
Really, I have no idea what you're talking about;
I've been a coder since I was 12, and my writing is normal;
I think it could be the other way around;
Non-coders try to write as little as possible;
that way they can write longer texts faster;
but a programmer can't do this, obviously;

coders don't use more puntuation marks,
it's everyone else that uses less.

Damokles
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 01:08
In most of my texts I got too much punctuation marks.

But I realised one funny thing : My best friend (who is not a coder, but uses the computer often) wrote me a real letter. I realised that she wrote many times punctuations like three points
or ASCII Smilies like this
in a real handmade letter.

- Mind the gap -
Van B
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 01:13
The 3 dots I can understand, it's more a common writing style than an internet thing, drawing little smilies is just silly though - mock her and her smilies so she does'nt do it again . I have seen people draw smilies when signing their name, but that's about it.


Van-B


Muhahahahaha.
BatVink
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 02:30
Quote: "Heh, my father is an English teacher, so maybe that's why I automatically put in the proper puncuation as I type."


puncuation! Your father will be ashamed of you!

I love these grammar and spelling threads, we all slip up when commenting on everbody else's input.

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Neofish
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:01 Edited at: 2nd Oct 2004 03:03
i use single spacing

+ of course you can use things like , it's not actual html that can be used to harm (the reason HTML is blocked)

+ how else would I write Λ and λ?

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Ian T
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:10
Three dots is called an ellipsis; it indicates a trailing sentence...

What's up with this double spacing? Sure as heck ain't correct grammar....

As for punctuation, 'more'? Well, the world is basically forgetting how to format sentences and communicate coherently, so I guess so.

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Neofish
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:15
I can't communicate coherently normally anyway, but I am making an effort to spell better and get the punctuation as right as I can. But also I will use lots and lots of these: Λλ.

I can't see anything in the above sentence that is wrong; it is a little long...

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David T
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:17
I've never heard of this double spacing before.  Looks odd though.

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Neofish
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:27 Edited at: 2nd Oct 2004 03:29
I've heard of it. I think it sounds stupid and would look stupid. Sticking extra spaces in at the end of the sentence wouldn't make your work look organised, your writing does.

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Van B
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:42
It's just a writing style that slows the reader down so they take in more of the information. It's a preference really, don't think it makes too much difference.


Van-B


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Damokles
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:48
I don't believe in the doublespacing : everytime I do no space in word, he just gets automatically a single space.

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Neofish
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:50
I think that says that Word makes it a single space for you, if that is a result of not sleeping then I advise you do...

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Ian T
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:51
N30F15H, yup, nothin' wrong with the sentence... good grammar is not hard, but so many people don't want to bother!

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Neofish
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 03:53 Edited at: 2nd Oct 2004 03:55
I assume you're talking about an earlier post of mine.

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Xander
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 04:34
The correct method is two spaces after a period (or "full-stop", whatevery you want to call it). There is supposed to be now spaces before a comma, but one after. No spaces before a colon, one space after. I always try to use correct grammer whether I am typing on a forum or an instant messenger. It is just a habit of mine. However, I do tend to use too many ellipses...

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Neofish
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 04:44
Me too...

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Peter H
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 04:49
Quote: "There is supposed to be now spaces before a comma, but one after."



Quote: "However, I do tend to use too many ellipses..."

i bet your not as bad as me at it...i use WAAAAYYy too many ellipsis'...don't believe me? think i'm just using them is this post talking about me using them to be funny???...

go look at my other posts in all the other threads...

i use Way too many ellipsis...



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hyrichter
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 04:51 Edited at: 2nd Oct 2004 04:55
Quote: "puncuation! Your father will be ashamed of you!"


Post edited...

And when will people learn that the word is grammar not grammer?

I don't know what you people are talking about saying that two spaces after a period (full stop) looks strange. I don't even think about it; but I always hit the space-bar twice after each sentence.

Edit: Maybe this "double-space" thing is just an American thing.

Ian T
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 05:46
American or british, spaces before commas and two spaces after a period are modern trends and useless ones at that, I'll add...

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MikeyP
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 06:05
I also use too many '...'. Though I have never heard of this 'two space rule' it seems extremely wierd to me. I find I use alot of punctuation compared to others, and have sentances with more commas, as sometimes I do entire paragraphs a page long as a sentance [Mini English book pages ].

I think that person further up meant to say 'no space' before a comma.
Mattman
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 07:53
Double spacing is required at my school, it's so annoying

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TKF15H
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 08:26
I've always seen double spacing as normal after a dot. Never bothered me. A space before a comma is odd though...
"As for punctuation, 'more'? Well, the world is basically forgetting how to format sentences and communicate coherently, so I guess so."
That's what I said in my first post.

RougeCat
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 16:37
A space before a comma, never heard of that be4. I think that would look silly though the flow of the statement wouldnt be there then, in my opinion that is. A two spacing after a period is not a new trend really been around for quite a while now. Just that people stopped following it because its more easy to just give a single space after a period. It just rhymes with your typing.
The Wendigo
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 17:00
Just to clarify, acceptably now, it is officially one space after a full stop (a period i guess you mean). <-- I never do it though, I, like VanB and others, was raised that you use 2 spaces (private schooling), but I think the 1 space rule is new within about 5 years or maybe a little more and everyone has had a tough time adapting. I think the reason for it is beacause of webpages and html. because of indenting code, html only recognizes one space as a space and ignores the rest. I think it's just to universalize everything.

Elpises? You mean parenthesis? I use them WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much (see!).

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PiratSS
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 17:07
$youarewrong=false;

if ($youarewrong==false){
echo("Yes, yes we do.");
}
RougeCat
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Posted: 2nd Oct 2004 17:12
No ellipses are the 3 dots (...) used to indicates trailing sentences. They are not parenthisis.
Xander
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Posted: 3rd Oct 2004 04:21
Yeah, I mean no spaces before a comma...

It just looks freaky when people put spaces before the comma, it is just not right...

I love my trailing sentences...

They make me feel more secure...

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Ian T
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Posted: 3rd Oct 2004 04:49
([Now] rare) term rundown:

Parenthesis: ()

Brackets: []

Ellipses: ...

Colon: :

Semicolon: ;

Most of the people here are familiar with these, our trusted allies. But in most haunts on the net... no way, man. No way.

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