Are full stops passive aggressive?

[Samas]

Are full stops really passive-aggressive now? According to my colleague they are, especially in text messages. Apparently, ending a sentence correctly is no longer “neutral” but somehow comes across as cold or hostile.

yabu= full stops are indeed PA
yanbu= of course they’re not

That is just your opinion!

You seem to be allergic to them @HevenlyMeS, if this post is anything to go by. My arse I need to "take into account... norm for individual" - it's punctuation! There's a correct way, and a wrong way. It's not a fucking buffet.

Seriously, what the fuck is the world coming to?

That's just daft.

I agree.
It's the opposite of evolving, imho.
Puntuation serves a purpose in sentence structure - It's necessary and helpful.

Same here! They think they’re in trouble.
at least I now have a way to let them know they are

Interesting thread because my child (11) definitely says her friend is in a mood when she puts a full stop at the end of a text message.

It's not something I've come across myself but maybe this is a new thing then, who knows!

No, it's not a matter of opinion!!!! Christ Almighty, what the hell are schools teaching these days?
Edit: actually it's probably not the schools fault - it'll some idiot on Ticktock (or how ever you spell it).

Soon 1+1 will not =2, because some idiot decides that's "a matter of opnion" and their (fucked up) opinion is that 1+1=7.

No, it's not an opinion that puntuation adds meaning, it's factual. Try writing any sort of meaningful text with no punctuation, and we'd all struggle.

Could also have sent a thumbs up emoji.

Why do do feel the need to be so angry?!? Live & let live & stop hassling folk you disagree with!

Again, it is simply your opinion!

Nobody is angry or 'hassling' anyone - that's a perfect example of the inappropriate use of a word, something that's really common nowadays.
We're pointing out that it isn't an opinion to say that punctuation matters, it's factual because it adds meaning and context.

People can interpret punctuation however they like, I suppose, but they should be aware that most people (or at least those not of their generation) won't be aware of these new 'rules' and most likely won't be following them. If they get hurt feelings or crossed wires because they don't like proper punctuation, that will make their own lives more difficult, but it shouldn't change how the rest of the world operates or writes.

Again, it's not an opinion.

I'm so glad that I'm no longer on the teaching register: "No, John - the marker won't think you're rude if you use full stops in your coursework."

Well someone clearly forgot to go to school, or only attended the 'unnecessary exclamation mark' lesson.

Oh dear.

I'm angry at stupid people who think punctuation is "a matter of opinion".
(Not really, I don't care about stupid people — just wish they didn't inflict their stupidity on the rest of us).

The thing is my teens know the correct way, neither of them are stupid, they are both bilingual, one of them entered a national linguistics olympiad without even really knowing what it was and ended up in the top 10 in the country.

It's a societal norm amongst their age group not to use fullstops in texts unless you are annoyed. They are fully aware of how and when to use them in school/for important matters. It isn't that they can't it's that they don't.

When I was a teen and used to take all of the vowels out of words to fit my txt n2 1 msg bcz it wz rly xspnsve it wasn't because I couldn't spell. It was just the norm at the time.

I'm afraid you're wrong. Correct punctuation isn't anything other than necessary.

God knows what the world is coming to!

i think it’s because if you can be bothered to put a full stop then why not an ‘x’

That's my dhs role, all text messages receive a 👍

I've never used text speak, even when texts were expensive. I just got good at editing / writing succinctly!

You're extremely rude & insulting, but at least I respect everyone enough to know, we can all agree to disagree!

I was 15 and had a lot to say and a job that paid very little! I spent hours staring at texts wondering what letters I could take out but still have the text be legible.

It's contextual.

If, for example, a work colleague sends me a work message asking if I've seen the stationery cupboard keys, no-one sensible would quibble with the following reply from me, despite it finishing with a full stop:

1. "No, not seen them. Helen needed them yesterday, so ask Helen if she passed them to someone else."

However, you should worry if I send back,

2. No.

or

3. Ask Helen.

In short messages, it's become customary not to end the last sentence with a full stop. When people who've fallen into that custom revert to using precise grammar in very short sentences, that full stop is meant to convey some finality to the whole conversation.

To go back to our example with the stationery cupboard keys, the full stop means I'm not willing to engage in further messages about the keys, because it's outside my working hours, and I don't see why Steve is asking me about where things are at the office instead of getting off his arse and looking for them with his eyes?

But I can't say that, so I'm ending the message by slamming the full stop key down hard.