Emdash fans!

[thad@brontosin.space]

@mcc Generally yes, though if I use it on Mastodon or somewhere else with a character limit I usually don't.

[joshg@mathstodon.xyz]

@mcc I'm still adjusting to using a real emdash and not just a - with spaces around it; my understanding is that it's supposed to have zero spaces but I still default to typing them and then catch it afterwards.

[ireneista@adhd.irenes.space]

@mcc we always want to but we know it's incorrect so we leave them off. and really, like.... the problems that an em dash solves, really do benefit from not having the spaces. like we don't really use em dashes except for things like definition lists where they're truly the best solution, you know?

[ireneista@adhd.irenes.space]

@mcc (when our goal is to set off a subordinate clause, we usually use parentheses, or semicolons, or when it gets really awkward we use our superpower of resisting overly-clever sentence structure and just breaking it into shorter sentences. on rare occasion when all those approaches fail, we use en dashes - not em dashes - but we actually just write them with the hyphen character because it's close enough. we do put spaces around those, but we think that's correct...)

[dirtyancom@kolektiva.social]

@mcc Yes and no. It depends on the length of the content behind or within the emdash or if the emdash closes. If it's just a word or phrase, especially at the end of a larger statement, I don't. If it contains a longer statement, I do.

[Guest]

I was about to say that we'd never dream of putting space around a long dash, but I think I have in fact done that for some obscure practical reason that I can't remember…I think it was simply to make sure that the character wasn't considered part of a URL or something of that sort. ~Chara of Pnictogen

[jonah@mastodon.neat.computer]

@mcc it depends on the font I'm using, because sometimes—like this—I will use an em-dash without spaces, and sometimes – like this – I will use an EN dash with spaces, depending on what I think looks better.

Em dashes with spaces seems superfluous to me in all cases though.

[aeva@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@mcc obviously the first one—how could I not always go for the Chicago Style emdash

[adamshostack@infosec.exchange]

@mcc Real pros — like me — — — put mdashes around their mdashes.

[phl@mastodon.social]

@mcc Being from an en-dash kind of language, spaces are absolutely necessary for my eyes when em-dashes are used for a break in thoughts — without them, it just parses as a hyphen and it throws me every single time when reading e.g. a novel typeset without any space around em-dashes.

[jesuismonsieurb@framapiaf.org]

@mcc In French, em-dashes require spaces on both sides.

[julian@activitypub.space]

@mcc@mastodon.social absolutely — they just look nicer that way.

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@vn i share your concern D:

[confluency@hachyderm.io]

@mcc It's complicated. In plain text I use two hyphens with spaces around them -- like this. When I do proper typesetting, no spaces—like this.

[deborahh@cosocial.ca]

@mcc @mayintoronto I think em-dash with no spaces is insane, given what it's supposed to do: create a long pause.

Why drag the words together while creating a pause? Give it some air!

And, It's supposed to be a longer pause than n-dash, right? But when you omit the spaces, it's actually shorter!

Anyway, I don't use it. When I want a long payse, I use " … " .

[wdenton@cosocial.ca]

@mcc Chicago Manual of Style (my preferred guide) has no spaces around em dashes, for example from 6.91:

> She outlined the strategy—a strategy that would, she hoped, secure the peace.

> My friends—that is, my former friends—ganged up on me.

[kalshann@mastodon.social]

@mcc I do both sides, usually. I don't when using it to show abrupt changes in something's flow, like conversation interruptions or surprises, ect.

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@xarvos advanced strats :O

[tarheel@mstdn.io]

@mcc

Emdash = two regular hyphens

@chiraag

[pteryx@dice.camp]

@mcc
Normally they belong on both sides. *However*, if the em dash represents interruption in mid-word, you only use a space afterward, not on both sides.

Oh, and for those who want to back things up with a style guide? Spaces on both sides is Associated Press style.