I would definitely agree with context being the main means of distinction. After all, when listening to something with my screenreader, I never have punctuation turned on, unless I'm proofing something. And, when I read Braille, I quickly skim over the punctuation, realizing it is there, but paying little attention to it.
Melissa Smith On 1/24/2011 6:43 PM, Roger Loran Bailey wrote:
I do think some screen readers and some people call a hyphen a dash, but it is still an entirely different thing. If you are looking at them visually they are similar. The dash is considerably longer. Depending on the font they may look so similar that one can only tell the difference by context and in any font if they are seen completely out of context, like alone on a blank page, they may be indistinguishable, so it may be that some people call them both dash because they don't actually know the difference and because the one syllable dash is easier to say than hyphen. The context is important though. Hyphens are used to make compound words. That is, if you want a phrase to be treated as a single word you connect the words with hyphens and with no spaces. They are also used to break words at the end of lines. Dashes are used to seperate phrases. I use them most frequently when inserting a phrase into a sentence when the phrase conveys a different idea than the entire sentence is conveying. The dash is used with a space on both sides of it. Even if the hyphen and dash are physically different I think that if a document was printed with both hyphens and dashes in it and the exact same symbol was used for both, I would probably be able to read it with my eyes -- providing that I got my eyesight back -- without confusing them and perhaps without even noticing that the same symbol was being used for both of them. That is, if you are reading them visually I think it is the context that is more important for distinguishing them than their length._ _ _"Everything must justify its existence before the judgment seat of Reason, or give up existence." - Friedrich EngelsFollow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rogerbailey81 The Militant: http://www.themilitant.com Pathfinder Press: http://www.pathfinderpress.com Granma International: http://www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html ----- Original Message ----- From: "Melissa Smith" <mdsmith25@xxxxxxxx> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 5:13 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: M dashes and fontsSue, I think that comes from the fact that screenreaders, and many folks call the hyphen a dash. Correct or not.Melissa Smith On 1/24/2011 3:30 PM, Sue Stevens wrote:Hi Mayrie,In the days when I took dictation on the dictaphone, if someone said dash, they meant two hyphens, not one hyphen. If they said hyphen, they meant one hyphen, not a dash, which was two hyphens. Thus, I do not understand what you mean when you say we were never told to convert M-dashes to dashes. (smile)Sue S.----- Original Message ----- From: "Mayrie ReNae" <mayrierenae@xxxxxxxxx>To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 12:14 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: M dashes and fontsHi Roger,Never were we told to convert em dashes to a dash. It used to be necessary to convert them to two hyphens, but now the conversion tools do this for us. A dash is a hyphen creating a compound word, an em dash, or in the old days, two hyphens denoted a pause in the reading. Very, very different things, so if people are converting em dashes to a single hyphen or dash, they're nothelping at all! Mayrie -----Original Message----- From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roger Loran BaileySent: Monday, January 24, 2011 10:07 AM To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: M dashes and fontsAs I recall, we were told some time back that it is better if we change them dashes to a dash, but it is not required. _ _ _"Everything must justify its existence before the judgment seat of Reason,or give up existence." - Friedrich Engels Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rogerbailey81 The Militant: http://www.themilitant.com Pathfinder Press: http://www.pathfinderpress.com Granma International: http://www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html----- Original Message ----- From: "Regina Alvarado" <regina.alvarado6@xxxxxxxxx>To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 11:59 AM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: M dashes and fontsAh something else I didn't know. I have been changing those crazy M-s to1 dash. One less step I guess! Sorry Cindy for the misinformation. Reggie -----Original Message----- From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Chela RoblesSent: Sunday, January 23, 2011 4:47 PM To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: M dashes and fonts Cindy good news you can leave the m dashes in since the braille translationsoftware can now read them correctly, as far as fonts go, I'll let someoneelse answer that. Smiley good to have you back again. -- "To me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you forever. It's one thing to be melancholy and one thing to be sophisticated,but when you get the two of them together in a way people can relate to, then I think you're on to something. You want the sophistication to lie in the purity of the sound, the beauty of the arrangements, and the qualityof the performances."-Trumpeter Chris Botti -- Chela Robles AIM/Twitter/MySpace/E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx Skype: jazzytrumpet WindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chela.roblesI volunteer for a non-profit organization called Bookshare, to find outmorego to: http://www.bookshare.org Visit my Blog Piece from RFB&D and fillout the comment form and enjoy the blog and sound clips: http://www.rfbd.org/Blog/Access-and-Achievement/144/vobId__2525/ -- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray@xxxxxxxxx> To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2011 1:42 PM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] M dashes and fontsUgh, I have proofread before, but there are things I should remember. If I have to do a training book, not sure I will cause I'm not sure Ihave the time. First of all, if the book has m dashes, do we take those out, or do they translate into double hyphens. Or should they be changed to --.Second, am I supposed to go through this book and find fonts to change.Some of these say 11 point, not greater than 14. Metyhinks these are my only questions about the book. Cindy To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get alist of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subjectline.To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a listofavailable commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5811 (20110123) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list ofavailable commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line. To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.comVersion: 10.0.1191 / Virus Database: 1435/3400 - Release Date: 01/24/11To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxput the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.