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Subject:Re: Avoid the Semicolon in Tech Writing? From:kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com Date:Sat, 16 Aug 2003 20:08:54 -0600
I like semicolons, but only half as much as I like colons.
Seriously, though, I *do* like semicolons, and consider them very useful
in both academic writing and literary fiction, where grace, cleverness,
and grammatical prowess can be important skills to display.
However, even I can see where a "no semicolons" rule could be useful in
tech writing. Most readers (and, sadly, many writers) don't really
understand the correct usage of semicolons. And in the "just the facts,
ma'am" syntax used in most tech writing, I really do think you can direct
or instruct the reader effectively without them.
I could see how barring the semicolon could add consistency to a team's
writing by simplifying the rules, and could enhance clarity for readers to
whom the purpose of semicolons is not intuitive.
So, while I've never seen that rule before, to me it makes sense. I think
I'll save my semicolons for my Great American Novel, but I'll give my tech
writing a semicolonoscopy. Thanks for the idea!
Keith Cronin
Would a big truck full of colons be a colon semi?
