Not since we wondered if we would rather have a room full of dimes or a room full of quarters have we addressed truly important topics in the Spynotebook. But, now we have the following question.
Just how much does the serial comma cost?
I mean, you have the extra man power of hitting the “,” an extra time which uses more electricity, wear on your keyboard AND your fingers causing a higher risk of carpel tunnel syndrome, and the toner could potentially run intoi the dozens of cents over the course of several years.
Anyone want to venture how much this is costing America?
EDIT: Let me say that I, for one, completely support the serial comma. I would donate money to it if it had a PayPal Donate button.
EDIT: Mandy submitted this link.
EDIT: The Bored Athenians weigh in:
Ennui () @ 11/10/2005 14:57:
The serial comma has become gratuitous. Most people are hanging on to it as a formality. I knew a girl who got high on the serial comma. It made her look so much smarter than her coworkers, who lacked it in their vernacular. I used to remove her needless serial commas from her copy if it was going into one of my publications. I thought that a better place for the serial comma was, quite clearly, up her ass. However, I, myself, am in favor of using the serial comma. Without it, the relationship of words would be initally confusing.Compare: This, that and the other thing.
To: This, that, and the other thing.Commas are very friendly with meter and measure.
Evil Overload () @ 11/10/2005 15:15:
Don’t forget the extra eight bytes it takes to store one digitally. If you add up all the storage capacity used up by serial commas, it would probably equal…something. Just think, if all (roughly) 300,000,000 citizens of this country use just one serial comma, that’s 2.4GB of commas alone. That’s half a standard DVD, and a very boring one at that.
And eponymous offers:
eponymous (http://www.eponymous.org/blog/) @ 11/10/2005 16:49:
I think we should be less concerned with the cost of the serial comma and more concerned with the cost of studying the serial comma. Already we have two blog posts and at least a few minutes per person reading and contemplating this post. If 200 people have viewed both posts, that’s thousands of minutes wasted today alone. Shame on you, bored athenians, shame!
Chip, are you trying to incite a riot?
I would say that the serial comma is costing us less than a rocket ship and more than a Big Mac. And, when I say rocket ship, I mean the kind built by Grumman, not Tyco.
Hmmm… I’m not sure that I care anymore. My big beef is when people aren’t consistent. But, as long as they know whether they are a serial comma person or not, it’s fine with me. As for me, I usually go with the serial comma. What are your feelings about spacing after a period? One space or two?
You have to weigh it against the cost of wasted time as a result of readers trying to sort out the meaning of text that did not contain the serial comma. I think it’s more efficient in the long run. Which is why we have more money than Brits.
More money than Brits as in we have more money than we have Brits or we have more money than the Brits have? Either way, you are correct.
I’m with Stephanie on this one. I do not use the serial comma, but I think it might be a social “science” thing; however, I do feel that the comma is way over used in student papers. They crop up all over the place with very little warning and they are often unnecessary.
Not going to weigh in* except to say that I feel shame for wanting to correct the grammar in one of the posts you quoted (which makes me a bigger snob about things grammar and punctuational than anyone has a right to be).
Oh, and don’t even get me started on the double-space after a period. Does anyone really do that anymore?
shudder
*=Besides, Courtney knows where I stand and she matters the most.