You can pry my em dashes — which I use regularly in writing because I love them — from my cold dead hands (To be fair, I really like parenthetical statements too, could be an ADHD thing).
I’ve been using em dashes for years. I learnt the alt code for them, because using hyphens for dashes looks awful (before that I’d do the double hyphen for an em dash). Also, like me, I notice you put spaces around the em dashes, which is apparently incorrect, but also according to me is the right way to do it.
On the iPhone I just long-press the dash and get alternates like en and em dash, as well as middot. Otherwise, no esoteric button presses. Works on macOS and iPad too.
I use the EURKey layout, right alt becomes a modifier key that, among other changes, turns the dash into an em dash. It’s really nice, also for diacritics and such.
Jokes aside: this is the Neo2 keyboard layout, which has 6 layers. The arrows are used for switching layers — just think of the shift key as the key used for the first layer switch (from layer 1 to layer 2).
Oh wow. I’ve actually never used Dvorak on mobile. I always like to tell people that the same thing that made QWERTY good on old mechanical typewriters, the thing that holds it back on modern keyboards, is what makes QWERTY good again in the algorithm-assisted typing of a modern touchscreen.
Dvorak. It’s a person’s name, so only the first letter is capitalised.
Anyway, that article uses a lot of words to come to…basically no conclusion whatsoever. I don’t know why anyone would link it when trying to make any sort of a point.
“No conclusion whatsoever” is basically the scientific consensus on whether Dvorak has any effect on efficiency or typing speed. It’s hard to get good data because it’s hard to isolate other factors and a lot of the studies on it are full of bias or have really small sample sizes (or both).
To anyone thinking of learning Dvorak, my advice is don’t. It takes ages to get good at, isn’t THAT much better and causes a lot of little annoyances when random programs decide to ignore your layout settings or you sit down at someone else’s computer and start touch typing in the wrong layout from muscle memory or games tell you to press “E” when they mean “.” or they do say “.” but it’s so small that you don’t know if it’s a dot or a comma and then you hit the wrong one and your guy runs forward and you die…
That said, I’m also a Dvorak user and it is very comfortable and satisfying and better than qwerty. Just not enough to be worth all the pain of switching.
Yesss em dashes are my babies! They’re have more versatility in breaking up sentences than commas IMO, and they don’t have as many annoying rules as semi-colons.
But I also write stories as a hobby so thats the reason its something I care about
I’m with you. I used to use a lot more parentheses, but the break is cleaner. I opt for en dashes, though, because I find too em dashes to be too long. That could just be a MSWord preference because I don’t distinguish on other platforms.
You can pry my em dashes — which I use regularly in writing because I love them — from my cold dead hands (To be fair, I really like parenthetical statements too, could be an ADHD thing).
As someone with AuADHD, can confirm that parenthetical statements are likely an ADHD thing (I use a lot of them).
ADHD: Can’t have just one thought (That’s my reasoning anyway).
I mean id use them more if i knew how to make them. they hide that fucking button on every keyboard – it’s like some big secret
I’ve been using em dashes for years. I learnt the alt code for them, because using hyphens for dashes looks awful (before that I’d do the double hyphen for an em dash). Also, like me, I notice you put spaces around the em dashes, which is apparently incorrect, but also according to me is the right way to do it.
You’re providing a thought (and a bonus thought)
(as a treat)
Parenthetical statements are so very useful (as they can denote a hierarchy of thoughts (and do many other things))! I love them.
Humans just use dashes - they get the point across and don’t require esoteric button presses.
It’s trivially easy on everything—except maybe Windows. I use them because I like the way they look.
Android: long press the dash
Linux: Compose Key + three dashes (you can set the Compose Key to whatever you want, I use the Right Alt key).
macOS: Opt + Shift + dash
Or I could just use the dash - way easier.
And it doesn’t make me look like a robot.
But it just doesn’t look right. I use a double dash, but most places now convert that automatically to em dash.
On the iPhone I just long-press the dash and get alternates like en and em dash, as well as middot. Otherwise, no esoteric button presses. Works on macOS and iPad too.
No need for long press—double dashes convert automatically
Ok————— nice
Some phones turn hyphens into an em dash.
Fuck using an alt code though, I’m just gonna use a comma even when I shouldn’t
I use the EURKey layout, right alt becomes a modifier key that, among other changes, turns the dash into an em dash. It’s really nice, also for diacritics and such.
I use a keyboard layout, where they are easy to type — this does not make me a llm.
My keyboard does not have an em dash and I have never seen one that does.
Still sus. 🤔
Right CTRL + ---(right CTRL is my compose touch)Edit: the em-dash is in the second row next to the 0. You type it by pressing shift and the mentioned key.
What the hell am I looking at? What the fuck is going on with those diagonal arrows??
They are for playing Dance Dance Revolution.
Jokes aside: this is the Neo2 keyboard layout, which has 6 layers. The arrows are used for switching layers — just think of the shift key as the key used for the first layer switch (from layer 1 to layer 2).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_(keyboard_layout)
No, it makes you wrong.
There is a wrong keyboard layout?
All QWERTY-based layouts.
– sincerely, Dvorak user.
Fellow Dvorak. It’s great for typos on touchscreens. Too many times I’ve mistyped whole and all.
Oh wow. I’ve actually never used Dvorak on mobile. I always like to tell people that the same thing that made QWERTY good on old mechanical typewriters, the thing that holds it back on modern keyboards, is what makes QWERTY good again in the algorithm-assisted typing of a modern touchscreen.
What a damn shame for all you Holds up DVORAK users that you’re no better than the rest of us filthy QWERTY kids.
https://itotd.com/articles/3528/the-dvorak-keyboard-controversy/
Dvorak. It’s a person’s name, so only the first letter is capitalised.
Anyway, that article uses a lot of words to come to…basically no conclusion whatsoever. I don’t know why anyone would link it when trying to make any sort of a point.
“No conclusion whatsoever” is basically the scientific consensus on whether Dvorak has any effect on efficiency or typing speed. It’s hard to get good data because it’s hard to isolate other factors and a lot of the studies on it are full of bias or have really small sample sizes (or both).
To anyone thinking of learning Dvorak, my advice is don’t. It takes ages to get good at, isn’t THAT much better and causes a lot of little annoyances when random programs decide to ignore your layout settings or you sit down at someone else’s computer and start touch typing in the wrong layout from muscle memory or games tell you to press “E” when they mean “.” or they do say “.” but it’s so small that you don’t know if it’s a dot or a comma and then you hit the wrong one and your guy runs forward and you die…
That said, I’m also a Dvorak user and it is very comfortable and satisfying and better than qwerty. Just not enough to be worth all the pain of switching.
To be fair though, a colon would be the correct punctuation here.
Yesss em dashes are my babies! They’re have more versatility in breaking up sentences than commas IMO, and they don’t have as many annoying rules as semi-colons.
But I also write stories as a hobby so thats the reason its something I care about
I’m with you. I used to use a lot more parentheses, but the break is cleaner. I opt for en dashes, though, because I find too em dashes to be too long. That could just be a MSWord preference because I don’t distinguish on other platforms.