this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2025
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TechTakes

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Big brain tech dude got yet another clueless take over at HackerNews etc? Here's the place to vent. Orange site, VC foolishness, all welcome.

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[–] self@awful.systems 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world -4 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

AI sales startup Never claims customers it doesn’t have for software that doesn’t work

See how that risks getting really confusing without commas or quotes?

They're called appositive commas and they surround "not essential" add-on information. The name of the startup here is not truly essential, it's added just for color (pretty sure nobody'd think, "oh, a typo" if they wrote "12x").

[–] pikesley@mastodon.me.uk 6 points 2 weeks ago

@NoSpotOfGround @self

[Guy who just learned what an appositive comma is]: "Hey, this could really benefit from some appositive commas"

[–] blakestacey@awful.systems 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The name of the company is actually important information in a news story about a company.

And yes, if you change the headline to one that is confusing, then it becomes confusing.

[–] bitofhope@awful.systems 4 points 2 weeks ago

Cool. Do Oxford comma next!

[–] self@awful.systems 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

wow! imagine if this post was funny, informative, or even fucking correct at all

I notice you didn’t give an example of the title with appositive commas though. maybe because it flows like shit?

[–] self@awful.systems 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

or alternatively, and hear me out here

lecture me on fucking grammar again like a mediocre grade school teacher and get banned

[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world -4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I'm assuming you're a mod or admin here? I'm surprised you took my explanation as lecturing... I was merely explaining in what way that title is wrong when you mocked my comment. No offense meant.

Stand up straight when I'm talking to you!

I never knew you were a person who wielded a lot of power here. I'm glad you mentioned that, as anyone with confidence in themselves should.

If I catch you missing another capital letter or punctuation mark, you're off to the principal, you hear me?

Please accept my apologies and hope that we can overlook this momentary lapse on my part. Please, no ban?

[–] bitofhope@awful.systems 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Wow, look at that sass. Are you doing anything later tonight? 'Cause I doubt you'll be posting here.

[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world -4 points 2 weeks ago

Hey, your reply earlier was pretty sassy and funny too. I upvoted!

[–] self@awful.systems 4 points 2 weeks ago

hahaha yeah nah this ain’t it

but while you’re briefly still here, you know what really helped me when I was 13 and still an absolute shithead about what I was led to believe was the one true proper english, to the detriment of my ability to write with tone and feeling?

I read achewood and I finally understood how to write with texture

anyway you won’t take this advice because you’re the type who gets off on incorrecting someone else’s writing, but for a better audience than you: read achewood and finally understand