No Comma No Problem

I’m not here to debate the sociological merits of social media, but I will concur that it has absolutely ruined the way we talk to one another. Further, modern technology has equipped us with quick and easy ways to communicate, like sending a voice text to someone through your watch or smart speaker, but it does not come with a robust ability to create punctuation on its own.

I’m an over-user of commas. I know it, people who text me frequently know it, and my colleagues who fell victim to my editing knew it, too. I sincerely think this was born out of overcompensation for the lack of punctuation – most notably, commas – in texts, emails, social media posts, etc. (I should note that, ironically, I am not a proponent of the Oxford Comma, simply because I was trained in AP Style, which did not employ the use of the Oxford Comma in its punctuation teachings. And boy was this an unpopular approach in formal scientific writing, let me tell you.)

On one hand, I get it; it’s somewhat of a generational sign of, “IDGAF and my message is more important than the vehicle with which it’s being delivered.” On the other hand, though, it’s insanely frustrating to have to read something multiple times just to determine its intended meaning, thanks to a lack of punctuation.

Regardless of where you fall in the comma-preference category, I’m not here to tell you you’re right or wrong; I’m simply here to remind you that your message may get lost by not using appropriate punctuation. Particularly if you’re in a position of high visibility, I would strongly encourage you to A) think about what you put in writing, and B) review it before pressing “send” or approving it for publication. Once again, I will remind you that if you need a second pair of eyes – or better yet, someone to pen your comms for you – I’d love to be considered a resource!