Mastodawn

Reay Jespersen Mar 11, 2023

Thanks for the voting and feedback, all.

Griff Ferrell calckey Mar 8, 2023

@reay I'll be 60 this year and I stopped adding periods last year

@griff Including to your social media posts, I see… 🙂

grob (teeth era) 🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Mar 8, 2023

@reay No punctuation matters.

@grob Fighting words.

Thee AV🕯️FU Alito Mar 9, 2023

@grob @reay None? 😳

grob (teeth era) 🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Mar 9, 2023

@yappydagger @reay No, punctuation matters!

Thee AV🕯️FU Alito Mar 9, 2023

@grob @reay That works. 😄

Matt Mack Mar 8, 2023

@reay For me, it fundamentally depends on who you're writing to.

As a sweeping generalisation, for younger millennials and younger generations, if you don't want to make a bad/misunderstood impression right off the bat then it's advisable to leave the full stop out. However people with closer familiarity (e.g. family & friends) who already know who you are and your habits, you can stick to your ways.

Personally it doesn't bother me too much now I'm aware of the various reasonings and such, but I suspect the majority of people would not be so conscious of this.

Peter Butler Mar 8, 2023

@matthras @reay ⬆️ This is the best answer

An Okay Dad Mar 8, 2023

@reay I asked some younger adult friends about this not too long ago. Mostly I heard "it depends." Context and speaker matter, and they mostly know someone is being offish when they see it.

I refuse to give up on punctuation completely, but I have made some effort to be less formal about it when chatting with friends. I've noticed maybe a little more engagement when I don't punctuate short answers?

Mans R Mar 8, 2023

@reay I tend to omit the final period, especially if the message is a single sentence (or less). Personally, I don't really pay attention to whether or not messages I receive end in a period, though I've heard reports (unverified by me) that the youngsters supposedly consider a final period rude or something. Oh well.

Idealistic Pragmatist

Mar 8, 2023

@reay I think people whose texting conventions include that nuance are aware that people of earlier generations have different conventions. So if you’re worried about being misunderstood, that’s probably less likely than you fear?

@IPEdmonton Probably true(.)

Aviva Gary Mar 8, 2023

@reay It depends... I know that explanation sucks but it is true. Formals (bosses etc) get punctuation everyone else probably doesn't...

At least that is how I do it.

Moving Pictures Mar 8, 2023

@reay Invite replies? That's what ellipses are for ...

@Moving_Pictures Is it? 🤔

Steve B Mar 8, 2023

@reay can someone explain to me what this about?

It reads like there is some discussion about ending a comment on social media with, or without a full stop (I assume unless a question mark or similar is used)?

As in, if you use a full stop it’s perceived as being rude.

But surely that can’t be the case?

Sorry, but confused!

@Steveb This all sprouted from my poll. That became discussion about periods at the end of other communication, like social media posts.

knack Mar 8, 2023

@reay depends on the recipient; writing always has a target audience.

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/05/909969004/before-texting-your-kid-make-sure-to-double-check-your-punctuation

Peter Butler Mar 8, 2023

@reay This poll shows exactly how old people on Mastodon are. 🤣

No one under 25 uses periods at the end of text messages and in fact reads them as an “angry” response

I’m 50, and just stopped adding periods a few months ago. (I am slow)

David W. Jones Mar 8, 2023

@reay Also an English major and writer here. Maybe try adding a question mark? Or a phrase like "Ideas?"

@dancingtreefrog Oh, if I’m actively looking for feedback, I’ll let it be known, for sure.

Just recently starting to understand that, at least to some, my ending a text with a period, while just finishing what I need to relay for me, may to the other person imply there’s nothing to discuss and I’m trying to end the discussion, which has never been the case.

David W. Jones Mar 9, 2023

@reay I think that adding a question mark invites an anwser. But that may also be determined by the tone of the post. If it comes across as giving orders or demanding, or telling the reader what to do...I don't think adding a question mark would help.
I used to end emails in my work days, when I wanted feedback or thoughts from recipients, with "Ideas?" I figured it was more inviting than other ways.

JoeJoeTom 🏳️‍🌈🎶🪨💛🤍💜🖤Mar 8, 2023

@reay Not only do I add periods at the ends of my texts, I usually use voice dictation, so I speak aloud sentences like:

“Hey comma John comma how are you question mark let’s grab some lunch at the new burger place period happy face” 😄

@joejoetom I find voice dictation as a whole tends to be really hit-or-miss for me. So while I appreciate the idea of it, and totally believe it'll get much better before too long, these days it's sometimes less time consuming -- and more accurate -- for me to, say, pull over and just write the damn thing myself. 🙂

Pseudoscience Mar 8, 2023

@reay my Gen Z kid answers nearly every single text with ya or bruh and it covers a surprising amount of stuff

Matt Mack Mar 9, 2023

@pseudoscience @reay it's fascinating to me how the tone of "bruh" vs. "bruh." reads differently in my head 😂

@reay I chose the "doesn't matter" option, since I have observed that people will develop their own quasi-dialect depending on the medium and their relationship.
That said, (even though I was born in the last millenium) I use (and care about) punctuation a lot, but mostly to indicate subtle nuances of speech that might otherwise be lost.

@reay A period indicates lowering your voice, a question mark raising it. But I find myself often not doing either -- instead, in conversation, I will often let the end of a sentence hang there as it is, maybe because I'm lost in thought, maybe because I'm pausing to allow the other person to interject.

@reay To indicate this flat ending, I use (and perhaps abuse) ellipses. But I do think I'm leaving out parts of my speech or thoughts, so I guess this could still count as its originally intended use.
I rarely, if ever, leave off the period at the end, though, and if I do, it's often because of limitations of the medium or my time in composing the message.

@reay Possibly also affecting my perspective: English is not my native language.

AT-AT Assault 🏳️‍⚧️Mar 9, 2023

@reay

Pretentious Zoomers can deal with it. Either they learn that different people have different communication habits, or they can insulate themselves. The smart ones will understand, and the boomers of their generation will get left in the dust. If they're going to be a bitch about "oh noes, this guy ended with a PERIOD" then do they really need to be wasting our time?

Ryan

Mar 9, 2023

@reay I think it depends on exactly how formal you want the text to seem. Punctuation is a tool to be used when it's appropriate, rather than something that should always be present.

@Dunstable So I seem to be learning(./…/ )

Doctor LURK Mar 9, 2023

@reay Speaking as someone with an applied linguistics degree, it might hearten you to know that the conventions of written grammar can actually change a *lot* depending on context and medium - and of course, there isn't any style manual for SMS messaging that I know of (leastwise, none that have been widely adopted in academia). As long as your recipients understand what you're sending, I say punctuate your text messages however you like!

@doctorLURK Ending with interrobangs it is. 🙂

Kabit Bunny ~ θΔ ~ 🔜🔜 Berlin Mar 9, 2023

@reay texting isn't a purely textual form of communication. People determine tone from much less information than a short story or news article.

It's not about "proper grammar" and it doesn't matter that proper grammar is classist, racist, ableist, etc (it is). It's that tone is carried differently in short form text and not understanding that can lead to misunderstandings. (Or, alternately, an understanding that you are, as you say, an "old man")

Gstpulldn Mar 9, 2023

@reay this has caused problems texting with my teens. I was once asked if I was mad because I ended a sentence with a period.

Matt Mack Mar 9, 2023

@Gstpulldn @reay I'm imagining you replying with "Yes." and giving them even more heebie jeebies 😂

Juan C Nuno Mar 9, 2023

@reay I consider myself a huge stickler for grammar and punctuation. I am the person who will tell you to use an en dash rather than a hyphen in a code review.

And even I find myself omitting periods when sentences stand alone (in texts, for example). I have friends who hold onto old habits, and I make fun, but I accept them.

@juancnuno I applaud your being able to keep such details straight. Even after taking a certification course for line editing, en- and em-dashes continue to be a weak point for me.

As it is, as grammatically steeped as I am, everyday writing and advertising drives me up the wall, so I can’t imagine being that much more well-versed in grammar and punctuation.

Extinction (our fate)Mar 9, 2023

@reay Try a question mark instead of a period half the time.

@aka_quant_noir Already covered previously. Problem there being I’m not asking something unless I’m asking something, y’know? That also clearly requests feedback instead of being open to it.

“I’ll do that when I’m out for groceries anyway.” is informative. But adding something like “Does that work?” asks for feedback instead of letting the statement stand (while, this whole issue being, with my being open to still hearing back but, if I make it a question, requesting it.)

Extinction (our fate)Mar 9, 2023

@reay for some, use of a question mark in conversation expresses inconclusivity or being nonjudgmental. It's the equivalent of a slight raised pitch at the end of a comment, like saying "you know?" But no punctuation could express the same thing.

Evan Prodromou Mar 9, 2023

@reay

"No, punctuation matters."

vs.

"No punctuation matters."

Ryan Mar 9, 2023

@reay As Stephen Fry once said: so long as everybody understands, who cares?

sheepchase Mar 9, 2023

@reay @stopthatgirl7 Absolutely. Periods just make you sound rude

hobo Mar 9, 2023

@reay I like the idea of experimenting with unusual usages of punctuation (or lack thereof). I like to think of it as yet another path towards the discovery of new forms of literary expression. I used to care way too much about punctuation until I encountered one of Cormac McCarthy's novels wherein dialogs between two people lacked correct punctuation. It threw me off at first, but after growing accustomed to the style, it seemed to have an interesting, overall effect.

Macramé Owl Mar 9, 2023

@reay I concede to my kids on this one. They tell me end punctuation in texts is harsh, not unlike SHOUTING 😉