banner
「雲華」CloudSino

網絡一隅¦Net`Corner

願我的祝福與你同在︕
github
bilibili
zhihu
steam
discord user
misskey
follow
email

A Brief Discussion on Personal Online Text Formatting Habits and Language Preferences

First of all, this is just a habit or quirk of the author, not necessarily standard, simply because it's hard to change after using it for a long time.

Secondly, I recommend the following related documents, which can serve as an introduction:

Chinese Copywriting Guidelines - Github

Minority Creation Manual - Rules and Regulations - Style Guide


Typography#

Spaces that are always forgotten#

There should be a space between Chinese characters and letters/numbers!

However, modern web service typography engines automatically correct this.

If not specifically mentioned, I really can't remember, but when I do notice it, I will pay attention.

Straight quotes, but as much as possible#

"It's like this" for no particular reason, 「」 looks better when paired with full-width square characters, and the input keys are already memorized.

On devices where it's hard to input, use Western curly quotes “” with a space to solve it.

Half-width symbols + half-width spaces#

Because I always have to write code, I basically have "Chinese input method using Western punctuation" turned on on my devices.
But for the same reason as the previous point, half-width symbols and full-width Chinese characters are not harmonious, so add another half-width space!
This has become a subconscious muscle memory when typing.

Modern Simplified Chinese#

I usually use Traditional Chinese on electronic devices, and I also habitually take notes in Traditional Chinese when there are no specific requirements. For me, I can read and write it, and typing on a keyboard is even less of an issue.

I don't have any particular views on Simplified and Traditional Chinese; I use Simplified simply because most website visitors come from Simplified Chinese-speaking regions. xLog's conversion between Simplified and Traditional can lead to some strange issues, which is not good behavior for guests to see second-hand.

Traditional Chinese might be used in places where brief expressions are less likely to cause semantic shifts?

My first foreign language is Japanese, and this site currently does not have long passages in Western languages.

One sentence per line, no space at the beginning, punctuation at the end is optional#

Unlike written essays, I rarely type long paragraphs online.

I just feel that this way of inputting and reading is more relaxed.

Punctuation is for expressing tone and separating sentences.

For the former, my written language should be as calm as water, and emotional fluctuations should extinguish like fleeting waves, without being deliberately added.

For the latter, line breaks can serve as a separator, and the punctuation at the end may often come from the removed second half of the sentence.

Many times, looking at deliberate white space is just not knowing how to continue writing.

Other things that just can't be changed#

For example, fonts, horizontal or vertical layout, those things that general personal users can't change when typing.

I prefer some typesetting-like Songti fonts, the direction of the text doesn't matter.


Language Quirks#

Colloquialism, right?#

Your written language is very colloquial, but your spoken language compensates for this part.

In reality, you are the kind of person who is often described as very formal; classmates say you speak too formally like customer service, and you generally use honorifics when talking to strangers.

Emoji, Suki!#

I always feel that inserting a colored image into a page of black-and-white symbols is very abrupt (including EMOJI). With emoticons, it looks more harmonious, right (・ω< )★

Inevitable influence of dialects and foreign languages#

Living in the Central Plains Mandarin area, while also in a province where inverted sentences are prevalent (have you guessed where I am yet?)

Although I believe my Mandarin is very standard, the influence is ultimately unavoidable.

I care a lot about whether the grammar of each sentence is correct, learning to treat my mother tongue as a foreign language, which leads to hints of Europeanization and Japanese-style Chinese.

Don't repeat words/phrases#

Chinese is vast and profound, but this is not limited to substantive words.

This is not to pile up rhetoric; just the repeated appearance of several words makes me feel uncomfortable.

This is also why pronouns are often omitted here; you and I both know who "Ta" refers to, so there's no need to specify it separately.

Who are you talking to?#

Treat the process of writing as a conversation with a virtual reader.

This process is enjoyable, and I might even read aloud for both sides unconsciously.

You agree, right, my imagined friend!

Thus, it creates a sense of dialogue.

Is this the ideal me or the real me?#

In front of every account, I maintain its persona, even if they are not the same. I want to present an ideal version of myself in this virtual space, even if this version doesn't exist. Each time I break through the wall can alleviate depression for a long time or even lead to a rebirth by changing accounts. Fortunately, reality doesn't have a delete key (does it?)

"I" scares me.

So kids, don't break CloudSino's worldview anymore!

Loading...
Ownership of this post data is guaranteed by blockchain and smart contracts to the creator alone.