I have witnessed a phenomenon on websites, predominantly blogs, where the writer will employ the use of strikethrough.
I am wheezily infuriatedpuzzled by its use.
When I was going through school, we were nearing the end of the dominance of Satan’s pianotypewriters. It was never acceptable to do a strikethrough on a paper you intended to hand in. You needed the magic of Wite-Out.
I later had a temp job where I had to use a pain-in-the-ass piece-o’-shittypewriter to fill out some forms that had triplicate copies in lovely colors, separated by carbon paper. There too, it was not acceptable to use strikethrough. I actually would use correction fluid — I had a color for each copy of the form.
So, why are people using strikethrough? Do they feel you, as their loyal and faithful reader, should wade through their sloppy prose? Where do they get their ballsnads (sorry, CP!), anyway?
Are they trying to be annoyingfunny?
SAY NO TO STRIKETHROUGH.
I’m with you, Splotchy.
That’s the magic of typing, we don’t have to disclose the train of thought that led to the final product.
From a practical POV, it is just a time waster.
I’ll stick to my thesaurus if I want to communicate ambivalence of thought.
Coincidentally, I thought of a band name today: Derrida and the Strikethroughs. That’s as bad, I realize, as Buddhaful.
Whussa matta Splotchy, do not want to talk about Britney Spears today??
I can find it amusing when used sparingly, but when it’s in every post it becomes annoying.
Nice to see someone taking a stand on this subject, otherwise they’ll be typing entire posts in webdings before we know it.
Say no to strikethrough – say yes to liquid pagper and support Mike Nesmith of the Monkees (his mom invented it)!
Oops. See, I need some myself.
I DO say NO to strikethrough, but only because I don’t know how to execute it. If I find out, look out world! 🙂
I have used strikethrough and, yes, I was trying to be funny. Thank you for pointing out my miserable failures.
rion, I’m not all that up in arms about it, but I but it is a stylistic device that I don’t feel compelled to use. If only the
tim, if you don’t do a post containing audio of you doing your Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions, I’m gonna have to kick your ass.
mob, I was raised in a very religious household, and didn’t see a webding until colege.
kristi, while we’re at it, let’s use adding machines and support William S. Burroughs!
zed, it’s a powerful weapon, and not one to be taken lightly.
beckeye, you know I love ya and your crazy strikethrough ways!
I’m soooo embarassed for having used strikethrough once, in a title of a blog entry no less!
For shame…. Thank you for directing me back onto the path of righteousness, sir.
Please. Tell me how this is done. I promise I won’t abuse the strikethrough…
I do it to be annoying. It’s one of my missions in life.
dguzman, you’re welcome.
flannery a, why, so you can unleash evil upon this world?
barbara, bless you! (if strikethrough were possible in a comment, I would have put something snarky here)
Um…I use it.
*The SHAME!!!*
But I try to use it when I want to say something dirty or unladylike without being downright crude…
…hmmm…I’m crude anyway tho.
Damn!
I use it now and then in a bid to be funny but I wouldn’t put it on a vanity license plate or anything.