BUNCH OF MEANIES! I bet if you were to do the Veil of Ignorance thought experiment proposed by Rawls, you would not slight philosophy!
People, people, please.
Use of the Oxford comma is context-dependent. Philosophy degrees are worth enlightenment or something.
It's really, really not. Every single method of avoiding comma-based ambiguity is dependent on a consistent system being employed throughout the work. If I write "his parents, Mike and Elaine", it's only clear that these are two people if the serial comma appears everywhere else. Otherwise it could just be four people and a lack of a comma. Clarity is defined by consistency.
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3451091/dot.gif" :bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:="var e=$(this);var se=$(e).closest('li').prev().find('.postcontent').parent();var te=$(e).parent();var tc=se.html();var th=120;var sh=parseInt(se.height());var r=th/sh;te.html(tc);te.css({'transform-origin':'0% 0%','-webkit-transform-origin':'0% 0%','transform':'scaleY('+r+')','-webkit-transform':'scaleY('+r+')','height':th+'px'});" />
Strunk & White's Elements of Style insists on the use of serial comma. One does not argue with Strunk & White.
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3451091/dot.gif" :bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:="var e=$(this);var se=$(e).closest('li').prev().find('.postcontent').parent();var te=$(e).parent();var tc=se.html();var th=120;var sh=parseInt(se.height());var r=th/sh;te.html(tc);te.css({'transform-origin':'0% 0%','-webkit-transform-origin':'0% 0%','transform':'scaleY('+r+')','-webkit-transform':'scaleY('+r+')','height':th+'px'});" />
Am I the same person? Just checking, I don't know whether or not you're me. I've had that problem before
People who want to moan about how I use my commas go tell it to my ass cheeks, Shlup and Raistlin.
Proud to be the Unofficial Secret Illegal Enforcer of Eyes on Final Fantasy!
When I grow up, I want to go toBovineTrump University! - Ralph Wiggum
<img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3451091/dot.gif" :bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:="var e=$(this);var se=$(e).closest('li').prev().find('.postcontent').parent();var te=$(e).parent();var tc=se.html();var th=120;var sh=parseInt(se.height());var r=th/sh;te.html(tc);te.css({'transform-origin':'0% 0%','-webkit-transform-origin':'0% 0%','transform':'scaleY('+r+')','-webkit-transform':'scaleY('+r+')','height':th+'px'});" />
I don't care how old school or new school you are, that 'And' he used is 100% redundant and it's at the start of a PARAGRAPH which makes it even worse. Terrible. Horrible! I don't think I can associate with him anymore.
On topic: I don't use the serial comma. I can see why some people might, but for me it just looks butt ugly. I like Yeru's bit about how there are arguments for both sides that are fairly valid. Personally speaking, I just do what I can to make a sentence make sense. If I find myself forced into a situation where it's just not gonna work without a serial comma, I leave it out purely because that's how I was brought up and it feels wrong to have a comma there. In the end, I want my post to look right to me first and foremost. I imagine most people are this way.
Bow before the mighty Javoo!
What's more miraculous is that anyone here is even willing to associate with you after that abomination of a soup thread.I don't care how old school or new school you are, that 'And' he used is 100% redundant and it's at the start of a PARAGRAPH which makes it even worse. Terrible. Horrible! I don't think I can associate with him anymore.
Also there's no grammatical rule against redundancy. The sentence "I'd like to say 'thank you' on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we've passed the audition" is entirely grammatically correct, despite being quite redundant.
As for the topic, yes, I usually use the Oxford comma, unless it creates ambiguity to do so (and I'm not too out of it to notice said ambiguity).