# Colons or asterisks for "action" sentences in your posts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626 "2005-01-14T00:18:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/1 "2005-01-14T00:18:25Z")
And the most pointless poll award goes to? _Fights you all off with a stick for it_ As you can see, I’m a fan of the asterisk. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/2 "2005-01-14T00:21:32Z")
::runs nekkid through thread:: [sub]Well DUH…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/3 "2005-01-14T00:33:20Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > As you can see, I’m a fan of the asterisk. _Sticks his tongue out at **Idle Thoughts** _ ::ducks and runs:: Second one looks better to me. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/4 "2005-01-14T00:46:45Z")
_raspberries colon-using peons_ _grin_ ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/5 "2005-01-14T01:44:33Z")
_—ponders question—_ Hmm, seems I prefer an alternate format. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/6 "2005-01-14T01:49:00Z")
_uses astersks_ Mostly because of things like this… ::puts action in colons:: (And this… ::does an action in parentheses:🙂 :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/7 "2005-01-14T02:20:04Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > ::puts action in colons:: > > (And this… ::does an action in parentheses:🙂 > > :smack: (::preview is your friend:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/8 "2005-01-14T02:31:30Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > (::preview is your friend:🙂 I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/9 "2005-01-14T02:51:08Z")
Either is fine. _sits on fence_ Ow. ::gets off fence:: ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/10 "2005-01-14T03:35:49Z")
> [@iampunha](#): > > ::runs nekkid through thread:: > > [sub]Well DUH…[/sub] You just wanted to show off your colon! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/11 "2005-01-14T03:40:31Z")
I normally use the leading-and-trailing colon series method, because that was in common use here when I began posting (this being my first board). One thing that is rare around here but common elsewhere is the “/me” leadin – I’ve seen **matt\_mcl** use it on occasion, but almost nobody else. In some versions of BB and chatroom software, beginning a line with a “/me” tells the software to fill in the user’s name and present it in a different color as an “action” line. Thus: /me trips **Iampunha** as he runs naked through the thread would be rendered by the software as **Polycarp** trips **Iampunha** as he runs naked through the thread ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/12 "2005-01-14T03:46:02Z")
_Implies through actions that this doper uses asterisks_ ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/13 "2005-01-14T04:19:59Z")
I use angly-brackets (what is their proper name) \ ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/14 "2005-01-14T04:55:17Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > You just wanted to show off your colon! 😛 Merely taking advantage of a temporarily-warm climate;) [sub]Anyone want to come and kiss all my booboos?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/15 "2005-01-14T05:19:58Z")
Asterisks for me. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/16 "2005-01-14T05:22:27Z")
> [@](#): > > I use angly-brackets (what is their proper name) Angle brackets. Just like their siblings, the curly brackets, round brackets, and square brackets. 🙂 The name of characters often varies between countries; the # character is a notorious example. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/17 "2005-01-14T05:28:26Z")
> [@iampunha](#): > > Merely taking advantage of a temporarily-warm climate;) > > [sub]Anyone want to come and kiss all my booboos?[/sub] How many volunteers are you taking? ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/18 "2005-01-14T06:02:35Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > One thing that is rare around here but common elsewhere is the “/me” leadin – I’ve seen **matt\_mcl** use it on occasion, but almost nobody else. /me was coming to this thread to mention this one as well. /me uses /me on other boards but almost never uses it here! /me wonders why she does this. I have now officially used too many /me’s. I normally use asterisks here. I like the look of colons (the punctuation, of course! I’ve never actually seen anyone’s colon, nor do I care to), but it’s just not what I am in the habit of doing. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/19 "2005-01-14T07:44:15Z")
/me is startled to be mentioned here. _uses asterisks_ ::d&r:: \ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/20 "2005-01-14T10:18:37Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I use angly-brackets (what is their proper name) > \ \ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626.md?page=2)