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[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 68 points 1 month ago

Now i see why people suspect that em dash = ai, that's a lot of em dash.

[-] zloubida@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 month ago

I hate that, I always loved my em-dashes, and I'll continue to use them — even if that means I look like an AI!

[-] exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 month ago

The two dominant style guides in the U.S. (Chicago Manual of Style and the A.P. Stylebook) prescribe no spaces around em dashes. When I do professional writing I default to Chicago, so I learned to eventually omit spaces around em dashes. That's still my main way of distinguishing myself, for now.

[-] zloubida@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

Oh it's interesting! In French typography (which I use in English if I don't know this language's rule), there's a normal space between the main text and the dash, and a non-breaking space between the dash and the inclusion. But I may turn to Chicago, now that I know that.

[-] exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago

The different style guides are designed for their particular environments. Most American newspapers and magazines follow AP, but most book publishers follow Chicago. Academics in the humanities tend to follow MLA, while academics in the social sciences tend to use APA. Hell, IEEE has a style guide for electrical engineers.

So do whatever you prefer. I tend to use Chicago because that's what I know best, but I have worked professionally in writing and editing publications that followed the Chicago rules.

[-] lagoon8622@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

I would advise against it — I think it looks stupid.

[-] Alue42@fedia.io 17 points 1 month ago

Ugh, there are those of us that are fully aware of the proper uses for en dashes and em dashes, and I'm not going to stop properly using my em dashes just so people don't think sending them an AI generated response.

Another comment mentioned a "giveaway" is the "there dots but as one character". I don't know about y'all's keyboards, but if I type an ellipses my phone's keyboard automatically changes it to a single character of three dots and has been doing so for years.

[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 month ago

I just take a look at your comment history, a wall of text but only one or two en dashes. Compared to the oop's one, 3 em dashes in just a couple of paragraph. The difference both you and AI is a lot.

[-] Alue42@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago

True, I don't overuse then within that amount of text.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

Agreed, and it's incredibly annoying. Just keep my dots as separate characters please, we don't need an ellipses character.

[-] aoidenpa@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

Also three dots but it's one character. Reddit's popular subs are full of AI. Super duper scary.

[-] nogooduser@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

I use em dash all the time instead of parentheses or semicolons. I also really struggle with captchas.

I’m beginning to doubt myself.

this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2025
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