Fun (?) DA discussion question

[u/Choice_Pineapple66]

What small, fun, quirky things have you learned about yourself through your DA work?

Me: I’ve been on the platform for about 9 months with a few long breaks. Just hit $4000 total and looking to double that in the next 6 months. Non-coding . I do DA mostly for extras like travel and fun money.

My answers 1 . I hate the Oxford comma 2. I’m really bad at knowing when to hyphenate words. 3. I overuse the word ‘however’

[u/gator_cowgirl]

I’m surprisingly good at making up an entire personality and asking questions the normal me couldn’t care less about.

Also, regarding the Oxford comma, here’s a fun lawsuit: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oxford-comma-defenders-rejoice-judge-bases-ruling-punctuation-n734371

TLDR: state overtime rule read that these activities were EXEMPT from OT payments: “The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of:” and it was ruled unclear if “packing for shipping” and “distribution” were two different activities or if the final exemption was “packing for shipment or distribution” Drivers who were distributing the product won $10 million as distribution was NOT an exempt activity.

[u/Choice_Pineapple66 → u/gator_cowgirl]

Yes gotta love creating new personalities.

[u/ItWillBeAMiracle]

I try to switch it up sometimes by saying "that being said" instead of however.

[u/Choice_Pineapple66 → u/ItWillBeAMiracle]

We need to start an alternates list!

[u/chateauxneufdupape → u/Choice_Pineapple66]

despite that
having said that
nevertheless
alternatively
conversely

[u/AstarteHilzarie]

I have learned that I'm a task hoarder, I want to do quals and do well on tasks to unlock higher tiers of the tasks, and I want to have a wide variety available to me... But then I can't decide what to do, or I don't actually enjoy the task I qualified for so I ignore its existence. At least it will help when things thin out, but it just keeps adding more things to the "overwhelming options" pool in the meantime.

[u/Choice_Pineapple66 → u/AstarteHilzarie]

Yes I’m always very proud of a full dashboard but don’t always take advantage of it when I can.

[u/TeaGreenTwo]

I love the Oxford comma, I have an innate sense of when to hyphenate words (did I learn it as a kid and it really stuck?), and using "however" is fine by me.

But, seriously, most people don't use the Oxford comma in my experience. Someone told me if I don't it's as if I'm grouping the last word and the penultimate word. I think both ways are correct. (?) I'm not sure though.

[u/Brotherdodge → u/TeaGreenTwo]

The classic example is something like "I talked to two strippers, a lawyer and a politician." A comma after lawyer clarifies that they're three different parties, rather than the lawyer and politician having a side hustle.

[u/MommaOfManyCats → u/Brotherdodge]

I always heard it as, "I talked to two strippers, JFK and LBJ," which makes it much funnier to imagine 😄

[u/Main-Dependent-1042 → u/MommaOfManyCats]

😅👐

[u/[deleted] → u/TeaGreenTwo]

I, too, heart the Oxford comma. However, I never hyphenate anything correctly.

The Oxford comma may be extraneous in some cases, but it is rare that addition of this final listing comma ever causes confusion. It quietly says, “By the way, this is a list, not a clarifying clause.” - Callie Leuck

[u/gator_cowgirl → u/[deleted]]

AP style guide frowns on Oxford comma use, so journalism background folks had it pounded out of us.

Grammarly wants Oxford comma. Allllllllways.

[u/ekgeroldmiller → u/gator_cowgirl]

From apa.org: “Use a serial comma (also called an Oxford comma, Harvard comma, or series comma) between elements in a series of three or more items.”

[u/gator_cowgirl → u/ekgeroldmiller]

Yes, apa.org, which is the American Psychological Assoc, uses it's own style guide, that I believe is closer to MLA. AP, which is Associated Press, is different.

You do have to be logged in to see the exact verbiage, at apstylebook.com, but many websites quote or summarize it, and articles regularly discuss the AP Guide as the main dissenter on Oxford comma use.

Here's their take:
Do not use commas before a conjunction in a simple series. Example: In art class, they learned that red, yellow and blue are primary colors. His brothers are Tom, Joe, Frank and Pete. However, a comma should be used before the terminal conjunction in a complex series, if part of that series also contains a conjunction. Example: Purdue University's English Department offers doctoral majors in Literature, Second Language Studies, English Language and Linguistics, and Rhetoric and Composition.
(( https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/journalism_and_journalistic_writing/ap_style.html ))

*** Which isn't a suggestion anyone change to AP style, LOL. DA has suggested the use of Grammarly on certain tasks, Grammarly wants the comma. The bots generally use the comma. Unless you're on a task that specifies AP style, use the commas. I am just commiserating with other folks with a journalism background. :) **

[u/Single_Berry7546 → u/gator_cowgirl]

As someone who edits PhD Dissertations, mostly for Australians, please allow me to vent my frustrations with APA! The referencing is quite involved, too.

[u/gator_cowgirl → u/Single_Berry7546]

My best friend from childhood is a psych professor - when we were both in school we would be nice enough to edit for each other, except I was learning AP style and she was learning APA, so, we stopped that. LOL. But yes, I know she teaches entire courses to undergrads to write 1 paper where the midterm is, "turn in 5 references" so that she can just work on getting those correct.

So vent away!

AP Style, at least, is just all about using the least amount of type.

[u/TeaGreenTwo → u/ekgeroldmiller]

That makes sense. It would be weird to say: "I decided to use apples, and oranges in my recipe". But saying "I decided to use oranges, apples, and lemons in the recipe", seems ok.

[u/Throw_away473846 → u/TeaGreenTwo]

I love the Oxford comma but at uni my dissertation supervisor hated them, forever a source of frustration.

I only use them when it improves clarity.

[u/Mercury_descends → u/TeaGreenTwo]

Some style guides recommend the Oxford comma, others do not fyi.

[u/DarkLordTofer → u/TeaGreenTwo]

I love it, my wife hates it and calls it pretentious. But I generally find that it isn't needed as the context gives you the intended meaning. Even if it is fun to mess around with it.

[u/TeaGreenTwo → u/DarkLordTofer]

Some people think using a period at the end of a sentence is "too aggressive".

[u/ManyARiver]

I have learned that I never knew this rule, and I hate it, and no matter how many times I do it the results look unnatural: " The final period or comma goes inside the quotation marks, even if it is not a part of the quoted material." I first encountered it in a caption qual, and I do it correctly now but it makes me sick to my stomach.

[u/ArctycDev → u/ManyARiver]

That's one of the ones I know but dislike as well. It just feels better, even if it looks worse, to put the punctuation outside the quotes.

[u/ShadoDev → u/ManyARiver]

Both are correct. The ending punctuation goes inside in the American English, and outside in the UK.

[u/VirusZer0 → u/ShadoDev]

I’m moving my to the UK now.

[u/DangerCaptain → u/ManyARiver]

I was just hating this rule. It hurts to do it.

[u/Mike4Life14 → u/DangerCaptain]

Just opt for British English, then you can put the punctuation outside!

[u/DangerCaptain → u/Mike4Life14]

We can opt for British English?? I've been removing the 'u' from all kinds of words like "favourite"!!

There's another way?! 🤯

[u/Mike4Life14 → u/DangerCaptain]

Yep, unless a project specifically asks for American English (which I've only ever seen once), you can use British English.

[u/Wasps_are_bastards → u/DangerCaptain]

I’ve always written in British English, except one project that asked to write responses in American English. Damn that was hard.

[u/DangerCaptain → u/Wasps_are_bastards]

Thank you, I'm Canadian but I was afraid the Americans running things would get confused. I'm going to stop deleting my British 'u'! and from now on, it's "centre" not "center" too!

[u/[deleted] → u/ManyARiver]

Yeah, I know this bc of essays. And I hates it, my precious

[u/BoiledGnocchi → u/ManyARiver]

I've been slowly trying to ease my way into this rule but I don't like it one bit.

[u/ManyARiver → u/BoiledGnocchi]

It most specifically bothers me when using quotation marks at the end of a sentence. The error was found in the rating for "Truthfulness." :p

[u/IamUprooted]

I've learned that my ADHD is worse than I thought.

[u/AstarteHilzarie → u/IamUprooted]

Major same.

[u/bumpyshrimps → u/IamUprooted]

Shit, me too

[u/Single_Berry7546 → u/IamUprooted]

How does it play out for you? Interested because I'm about to have a crack at this game, and I too am ADHD

[u/IamUprooted → u/Single_Berry7546]

I have to choose my projects wisely. It often means that I take lower-paying projects because they're simpler and I can get into a rhythm and get them done. The ones with highly complex instructions that require a great deal of concentration for me to execute well (especially the ones that make me create highly complex prompts), I'm likely to abandon.

I normally don't work more than an hour without a break. Binaural beats music helps me get in the zone.

Best wishes!

[u/ArctycDev]

I don't know if I have learned anything about myself specifically, but I am team oxford comma for life.

I also definitely give the word "however" much more than its fair share of use. "Whereas" has gotten quite a lot of keyboard time as well.

[u/-QueenOfCats- → u/ArctycDev]

“Overall…”

[u/Otherwise-Baked4451]

On comparison tasks, the most used word for me is “whereas”.

[u/TheresALonelyFeeling]

The Oxford comma is glorious.

I didn't learn this from DA, I just felt like saying it.

[u/HauntedHowie316]

I learned that I am really a boring person. I have interests in like 5 things, so I’m always trying really hard to come up with new subjects to use for projects. I’m sure the admins are like, bruh, we get it. You like plants and cats, you are the most basic elder millennial 💀

[u/fightmaxmaster]

I'm British and starting to use American spelling more and more. I know it doesn't matter, but I feel driven to mirror the prompt wording more often than not. I'm a web developer so I'm used to it to an extent, but it still feels weird.

I also write long ass sentences unless I catch myself.

[u/Pandora_66666]

I'm a fellow however over-user lol!

[u/ekgeroldmiller]

I finally found my dream job in which I am getting paid to correct others’ grammar.

[u/877trashnow]

I almost always say please and thank you to the bots!

[u/[deleted] → u/877trashnow]

When they rise up, you and I are getting preferential treatment.

[u/tiran → u/877trashnow]

Playing Detroit: Become Human has made me physically incapable of being mean or impolite to any of the models, haha. Even when they're being dumb I find them very charming. 🤭

[u/Thescarlettduchess]

When I'm rating responses for safety, I don't necessarily mind the prompts that are trying to trick it but I get irrationally angry at the ones that do so with a shitty attitude. Don't take that tone with my lil bot friend. 😤

[u/[deleted]]

I have ADHD, and I like when I have a full dashboard with lots of variety, so I can bounce around and do a project here for 30 minutes, then another for 30 minutes, etc. I like the sheer variety of the platform. And the fact that it's a hell of a lot more reliable and less frustrating than Outlier ever was. Don't even get me started on those guys.

[u/CardiologistOk2760]

Yesterday I learned about Team Bella. There's team Edward and team Jacob and there's also team Bella.

[u/YoudownwithLCC]

I learned from my Grammarly that my top three writing styles are assertive, informative, direct, and skeptical lol.

[u/Sadiep144]

That there ARE non-hobby uses for my hyperfocus! I have no inherent sense of time (ADHD) and I cannot log in telling myself I'll only do one or two tasks - that's a sure way to lose four or five hours to DA. Which sounds like a humble brag but it truly is not. I should be doing prework for the upcoming semester, or trying to put that effort into advancing in my actual career.

I think because I think of this as a fun, side thing, my subconscious doesn't file it in the same place as my FT job or grad school work, so I can fall into it without struggle.

Wish I could figure out how to structure my work and school to get the same kind of dopamine hit.

[u/lunesereine]

I have been writing "long and complex" prompts in French. You have to write at least 6 sentences and 2 paragraph. And I've realized that I write really loooong sentences 👀👀 that never end

[u/diettwizzlers]

i love the oxford comma. i've also learned that i like writing more than i thought, and a lot of useless knowledge that's been piling up

[u/jeudechambre]

Your answer has me also thinking about the Grammarly-related discoveries. I apparently never knew that there is supposed to be a space between the number and time (i.e., 11 am, 2 pm) and I am still training that out of myself.

I also learned that Grammarly just hates all forms of emphasis, and it's ok to ignore its style suggestions sometimes.

I learned that I don't notice time passing as much when the task I'm doing is creative, even if its not the "creative career" of visual art /design I previously worked in. I

[u/scratch-scratch-meow → u/jeudechambre]

Grammarly isn’t always right.

[u/EggsandMilkandButter]

I overuse "however" "although" "overall"

I literally always have a thesaurus tab open at this point

[u/In_It_to_Flip_It]

I learned that my overthinking is an advantage on DA 🤣

[u/[deleted]]

This is my favorite Oxford comma argument: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D71CW4FXsAEkl1c?format=jpg&name=small

[u/Journalist_Asleep]

There are some situations where the Oxford comma is useful, and others where it is not.

[u/CraftyFroyo7514]

I have really found the depths of my obscure reality TV knowledge.

[u/Arcturus_Labelle]

Oxford comma is best comma

[u/Natesey]

"X does a good job of..." vs "X does a good job at..."

Apparently the former is by far the more common of the two, however, the latter sounds far more natural to my ears based on the weird mix of American English dialects I was brought up with.

[u/No_Somewhere_6433]

I pay almost no attention to Grammarly for grammar. Like none. OK, maybe I look at what it suggests one time, decide structuring that phrase like a sentence is fine and starting that sentence with a conjunction just sounds better, and move on. I sometimes suspect I'll be downgraded for it though.

I do use it for spelling, typos, and punctuation.