« Defense Systems Activate | Main | Colorstrology »

So Exciting!!!!!!!!!

Sit down and listen up. This in an intervention. I'm here to tell the world, specifically advertisers, that you are sadly abusing exclamation marks. A little in moderation is good, but when used in excess they turn into a meaningless cry for help. I can't hear what you are saying over the shrill scream of your addiction. You substitute exclamation points for more healthy activities such as good writing and good design. This is a serious addiction which will only lead you down a road of pushing people away and desensitizing them to your message. First, you need to admit you have a problem. Second, you need to stop using so many exclamation points. Actually... do the second step first. I don't really care about the first one.

There's an excellent article on this wide-spread addiction at GreenvilleOnline.com.

"It's shaped like a bludgeoning device," says Doug Fisher, a University of South Carolina communications professor. "I think sometimes that's what people are trying to do, bludgeon you into paying attention, but too many of them knock you senseless, and you don't pay attention at all."
"...if you use too many, it's like crying wolf." –Roz Canty

"If you have to use punctuation or some other gimmick to convey that feeling, then it suggests that there's something wrong with what you've written," says Melinda Menzer, a Furman University English professor.

"Exclamation points are like laughing at your own joke." –F. Scott Fitzgerald