Judge John Hodgman on Ending Text Messages With Periods

*Translation for dads: Congratulations. Your daughter has become fluent in a new language. Just as spoken English evolves, even the most perfectly punctuated prose does not guarantee clarity across generations. Try reading “Middlemarch.” Presuming Emily knows the “rules” and deploys them when appropriate, her ability to switch contexts and “break” them creatively is no crime. And as I learned from my own daughter, ending a text with a period these days really does make you look unhinged with anger. Ur not tho I know it. (PS: I mean it: Try to read “Middlemarch.” It’s great.)