Has anyone else noticed this becoming rife on MN, and can we please have a public awareness campaign?

[QuimReaper]

About four or five times a day I am seeing people using "strikethrough" on a phrase which should be in parentheses

As in, "My DD aged four likes the red ones..."
"A similar thing happens in my line of work I work in a supermarket and I've always found..."

It's completely bizarre, and makes my fists clench!

[DadDadDad]

Are those real examples? If so, then I agree that it's a bit pointless.

However, I've only seen it used here in a knowing way, where it's a piece of information that shouldn't really need to be said, but I'll mention it in a knowing sort of way, or to wryly highlight the subtext.

Maybe only clever some people should use it.

[elephantoverthehill]

A public awareness campaign is definitely needed not I think strike-throughs can be quite funny.

[GibbousHologram]

Properly used strikethroughs are great and I miss them in real life.

The strikethrough misuse that most gets my goat, however, is placing the strikethrough after the non-strikethrough word or phrase.

For example, tonight I had a couple of glasses bottle of wine.

[PuraVida]

Your right. It needs fixed.

[GibbousHologram]

Lol

[Lancelottie]

Isn't the parentheses thing just where people are using dashes like this round the phrase but forget the spaces?

[PresidentOliviaMumsnet]

As long as folk aren't using strikethrough for personal attacks which for some reason they think the fuckers at HQ can't see then it's fine with us.

I overuse parentheses I think.
If I had the time energy or inclination to be a troll, my bracket abuse would give me away sharpish.

[pratiaalba]

Surely, everyone on MN knows the strikethrough is only for snarky comments? particularly PA ones

[QuimReaper]

Strikethrough is a fantastic source of humour when used properly!

But it being seriously abused nowadays.

[elephantoverthehill]

Ah! not allowed to say' bracket' anymore. 'Parenthesis' is the choice of Nicky Morgan. She did well on R4 today

[Brainnotbrawn]

I hate that there are not strike through everywhere in the Internet yes that is right I have been known to cheat on MN and post elsewhere strike through are one of my fab things about MN and the emoticon too. I think MN needs a heading banging on a wall emoticon, I miss that emoticon here.

[Brainnotbrawn]

I just realised I have made at least 2 SPAG mistakes on the pedant's corner. I await my flogging 😳.

[QuimReaper]

Gibbous I'm sorry to say, that is another example of Strikethrough abuse.

"For example, tonight I had a bottle couple of glasses..." implies writing the truth, then thinking better of it, striking it through and writing a more palatable story. "A couple of glasses bottle" makes no damn sense at all - although again, parentheses might work here, as in "a couple of glasses (I.e. a bottle)..."

[QuimReaper]

Brain I miss the in everyday life. There just isn't as good an equivalent in emojispeak.

[Brainnotbrawn]

True. Quim but I find I am too nice to use it on other fora I am on, the posters do not appear to have the strength of character as MNs. They do tolerate head bangers though so maybe I am under estimating them.

[elephantoverthehill]

I find self flagellation is the best way to go, if you are tripped up in Pedant's Corner.

[Brainnotbrawn]

Sure thing elephant. In my defence I had a good save on my next post for when I managed to not refer to it as Pendant's corner. I also managed to spot 'clogging' before I posted which is more preferable to my phone than 'flogging' apparently. Still I think I will get DH to give me a spanking for good measure though. I deserve it.

[GibbousHologram]

Quim, pay attention! I was quite clearly demonstrating the abuse of the strikethrough. That was an example of how stupid some people use it wrongly.

[MakingJudySmile]

Nah, brackets wouldn't work there because:

"tonight I had a bottle couple of glasses"

Suggests that you are, as you said, thinking better of telling the truth. Whereas:

"a couple of glasses (i.e. a bottle)"

Suggests supplying further information rather than trying to fool anyone.

[GibbousHologram]

Of course anyone who knows how to use strikethrough properly would say
'I had a bottle couple of glasses of wine.'

But I'm on a thread in Pedants' Corner where someone just said 'more preferable'.

[QuimReaper]

Oh Gibbous I do apologise! I missed your lol and cast very u fair aspersions!

[QuimReaper]

Making I can see a way brackets could work humorously, more like " I had a couple of glasses (well, OK, a bottle...)" but agreed, simply bracketing the bottle doesn't imply a sheepish confession.

[MakingJudySmile]

"I had a couple of glasses (well, OK, a bottle...)" is definitely the way to write it in a world without strikethrough. Sad and unhappy as that world is without it. I'd quite like to have a spoken form of strikethrough.