Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site iheds.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!harpo!ihnp4!iheds!jhg From: jhg@iheds.UUCP (John Gustavson) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: PUNCTUATION (especially the use of parenthesis !) Message-ID: <321@iheds.UUCP> Date: Wed, 18-Jan-84 15:33:19 EST Article-I.D.: iheds.321 Posted: Wed Jan 18 15:33:19 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 19-Jan-84 05:33:13 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 59 Ah, the parenthesis ("()" | "<>"). You parenthesis abusers out there (you know who you are) use them with wild (perhaps careless ?) abandon. This use (of parenthesis) detracts from the flames (belligerent or otherwise) such that I have a difficult time following the original thought (if there was one) of the article. Usually, but not always, the material enclosed in parenthesis (some of you use "<>" in place of "()") does not essentially alter the meaning of the sentence but instead supplements or explains some obtuse (or obscure) thought that just entered your mind while your fingers were making rapid (for those of you so talented) rat-tat-tats on the keyboard. Even such an intellectually stimulating discourse on the wombat (some prefer to capitalize it: WOMBAT) falls prey to the overuse (or abuse as I mentioned in the first sentence) of the parenthesis (notice that I'm not specifying a particular individual here - yet). If you cannot express a complete thought (assuming you ever had one) without the use of parenthesis, how do you expect me (and I assume others who have as yet to flame on the subject) to be able to understand (I used the "<>" so as not to slight you angle bracket users) completely whatever it was you were trying to convey? The use of these outrageous punctuation marks should be outlawed from the net (Hmm.. I wonder if anyone has a parenthesis filter ..) and anyone caught using them (after a certain announced date) would be required to submit ten articles (without spelling or typos) that either refute or prove the existence of wombats. This flood of articles will hopefully keep Laura and Tim so busy replying that the rest of us can get on with the serious flaming (If we do it it's ok) so dearly loved and appreciated by serious netnews readers (Those of you who press the 'n' key or filter out 'net.flame' are not serious anyway). In summation, use parenthesis sparingly (if at all) when you submit articles to the net that you think (or know) that I will read. If you have to use them (I doubt it), use them only for those weird smiles they are supposed to represent (-:)). -- From the insidious terminal of: John Gustavson