• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/em-dash-en-dash-how-to-use

    An em dash is often used in place of a colon or semicolon to link clauses, especially when the clause that follows the dash explains, summarizes, or expands upon the preceding clause in a somewhat dramatic way.

    Harry would never forget the Tuesday that Mabel called him from the bakery, her voice brimming with excitement—the bakery had added cheese Danishes to its selection.

    Although I admit I used a dash instead of an em dash because I didn’t want to look up the special character. I think most people probably understood what I was saying.

    • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      I really don’t know how you thought that changes it to something else. It adds to it, giving the actual link, but doesn’t change the actual tone. Or what did you intend it to say?

      I think most people probably understood what I was saying.

      I don’t think it’s a case of people not understanding, that I agree on.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I don’t think it’s a case of people not understanding, that I agree on.

        And now you’re making the ludicrous implication that you know what I meant better than I do when I literally told you that I wasn’t commanding you to do anything or was even talking about you. 🙄

        I think we’re done here. You can have the last word to pretend you know me so well again.

        • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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          5 months ago

          I would be really intetested to hear how you imagined the em dash would change the meaning and what the intended meaning was.

          was even talking about you

          If you reply to people and seemingly talk directly to them then most would assume you are talking to them. I don’t think any amount of em dashes clarifies that it’s meant in some vague fashion.

          You can have the last word

          Muchos gracias.

        • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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          5 months ago

          Link to something less awful than the Post talking about it- https://www.mediaite.com/trump/forbes-deletes-article-asking-whether-trump-surviving-assassination-attempt-will-be-his-next-appeal-to-black-voters/

          No I assumed the link part was that, here’s a better link, but what did you make out of the “link to something less awful” part if not telling that I should link to something less awful in the future? I’m not sure how else to read it

          If the intention was to just provide the link as they said the first part seems totally unnecessary, especially so since it can easily make the whole comment seem unnecessarily abrasive imo.

          • kamenLady.@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Idk, i always assume someone is commenting/responding to the thread, instead of directly to the author of the comment they are responding to.

            I’ve read a fair share of the Squid’s posts and comments and feel like they would rather write it like “Please link to something” or “Can you link to something” if they would address you personally.

            On the Internet, i’ve learned to not take anything personal from the get go. For my own sanity.

            Edit: but i can see where you’re coming from. In a normal conversation - one on one, i would understand it differently.

            I didn’t do it here, because i picture lemmy like a big room, with people sitting in groups around a topic and discussing. So i assume people are addressing the group, if not addressing someone specific in their comment.

            Sorry for the amount of edits, this was the last one

            • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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              5 months ago

              It’s an interesting assumption, considering that we are talking to each other right now. At least I assume so. Usually in my experience people note that they’re not directly replying to someone because otherwise it does get very confusing.

              Not that it matters, really. I’m more interesting about the em dash thing, that supposedly changed the meaning. I just don’t see how.

              E: I just realized that them not directly addressing me, who posted the link to New York Post but everyone in the thread posting New York Post links doesn’t change the meaning, just the target. lol