I’ve always used a comma in my cover letters and resumes, and a colon when writing scripts. Am I bizarre? 
[QUOTE=Kythereia]
I’ve always used a comma in my cover letters and resumes, and a colon when writing scripts. Am I bizarre? 
[/QUOTE]
Just Canadian. 
[QUOTE=DanBlather]
Just Canadian.
[/QUOTE]
Aren’t the two equivalent?
I heard the show too, and was amazed anybody would feel “talked down to” because of a colon. At first I thought the colon meant nothing, then on reflection thought it did look more businesslike whereas a comma looked more classic and a dash more casual. But the first reaction was surprise.
I use commas usually.
Recently I heard that the understood meaning of “K” as a brief reply, as in a text message, was “kisses”. Imagine my shame. I’ve been using it to mean “OK”, because the spoken answer “OK” often just sounds like the “K”. Guess I have some explaining to do…
I tend to use Spanish punctuation. So my letters in any language start with the name or treatment of the person I’m adressing, followed by a colon. If they don’t like it they can write back in Spanish explaining the subtleties of multi-lingual punctuation, eh?
Never had a language class where they taught punctuation except for this thing about Spanish being the only language that uses opening exclamation and question marks.
I don’t think I’ve ever used a colon in a salutation. It’s commas all the way for me, in both personal and business letters.
In emails, I often use an exclamation point. I think I got that from German class, so maybe that’s just me.
In memos, there’s the
To: Ty-D-Bol Corporation
Re: Small people in plumbing
…type of usage, but that’s not the same. It’s not really a salutation in tthe same sense as
“Dear Madam CEO,
Regarding pay rates…”
…is.
If I can use the person’s first name, I use a comma; otherwise I use a colon, with “dear.”
[QUOTE=Polycarp]
A colon follows the salutation (often reduced to a name in direct address) in any business correspondence. A comma is used in the same position in personal correspondence. I have seen nothing that indicates, if a salutation is used at all in e-mail, there should be any change from this procedure.
I would love to know from what the NPR caller derived the sense of being talked down to. Although I have seen e-mails that make it appear their authors should be sent back for remedial kindergarten, to learn how to interact with others in a civil manner.
[/QUOTE]
Prezactly.
Colon: business
Comma: personal
However, I use the comma in e-mails at work to people I know and people in the company I don’t know.
I would use a colon in case of
<general e-mail blather>
John: question or comment for John to answer/follow up on
Mark: question or comment for Mark to answer/follow up on
<more blather>
[QUOTE=matt_mcl]
If I can use the person’s first name, I use a comma; otherwise I use a colon, with “dear.”
[/QUOTE]
I had a boss who thought it sounded gay to start a letter to another man with “Dear.” I asked him of he preferred “Yo!”
To me, a salutation followed by a colon always reads as if the narrator were trying to talk like a robot, but in text.
Granted, sometimes that’s the effect I want.
[QUOTE=betenoir]
I agree with Polycarp. That’s SOP for business letters. So if it’s a business related e-mail it’s only professional.
[/QUOTE]
Must be a cultural thing: we don’t do it over here.
[QUOTE=Guinastasia]
Said person was beyond anal-I’ve never heard of such nonsense.
[/QUOTE]
:D:D:D
[QUOTE=jjimm]
Must be a cultural thing: we don’t do it over here.
[/QUOTE]
Really? You just do commas? No wonder I couldn’t get a job in the UK. To many colons.
[QUOTE=betenoir]
No wonder I couldn’t get a job in the UK. To many colons.
[/QUOTE]
You calling us a bunch of assholes?
[QUOTE=jjimm]
You calling us a bunch of assholes?
[/QUOTE]
Of course not, I’m calling you an arsehole 
.