The period as we know it is dying. That's really not so bad.

The ends of sentences today are often lacking in periods, purposefully left open to appendage, response or silence. We avoid hitting the period key whenever possible, because periods don't just end sentences, they have meaning.

When you tell a friend something via text message, getting a reply that reads "Ok." instead of "Ok" is no longer just a meaningless difference in punctuation. The period adds emotion; it's an intentional addition that demands further interpretation, as noted recently by the New York Times. Read more...