Posts by zeldman@front-end.social
 (DIR) Post #B4az1JqZk9UILK60rw by zeldman@front-end.social
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       Abandon the em-dash in your human writing?The irony—and it’s a big irony—is that real writers use em-dash frequently, and for reasons. As a written signifier of verbal speech pauses, it means something different than what commas and semicolons mean. It connects while separating. That’s why so many writers use em-dash when it is the best mark for the job. And chatbots use it because they were schooled on millions of writers.1/3
       
 (DIR) Post #B4az1KhkYS1R0EyTke by zeldman@front-end.social
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       That this human thing real writers do is now a red flag to readers who mistrust AI is—as I said—ironic. And for editors, it’s frustrating, as it  presents a moral conundrum: 2/3
       
 (DIR) Post #B4az1LASpgzURIPPVY by zeldman@front-end.social
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       Replace a well-used em-dash with a comma so suspicious readers won’t mistakenly flag the text as AI-generated? I’ve done it. Particularly in bulleted lists where every list item includes a em-dash that could work as a colon, or when the writing is fairly dry—and thus potentially triggering for ticked-off hunters of AI signifiers. Le sigh. 3/3
       
 (DIR) Post #B4az1LYDPNzPcxWNWq by zeldman@front-end.social
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       Afterthought: Ultimately, the best defense is to write well. Write humanly. The closer you make it to that aim, the fewer the folks who will worry about the AI-or-human provenance of your words.Saved here: https://zeldman.com/2026/03/24/dine-n-em-dash/
       
 (DIR) Post #B4m6oXiLoIDJxXE7xQ by zeldman@front-end.social
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       Rushing to the hospital Emergency Room has emerged as perhaps the paramount objective of slamming one’s own dick in a doorway.
       
 (DIR) Post #B55ays3li4xkaFKAng by zeldman@front-end.social
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       Someone online referred to “Pedolf” and I knew instantly whom they meant. And so do you.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6T7otxHcVbkUQjr2u by zeldman@front-end.social
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       “What Machines Can’t Replace is coming in August 2026. Pre-orders are open, and I’m looking for ARC readers, blurbs, and a long-shot foreword.” – Anna McPheehttps://blog.anna.kiwi/blog/my-book-has-a-publish-date-and-i-need-your-help/