Question marks: How many is too many????

[Mise]

I recently learned of a new type of punctuation: the [wiki]interrobang[/wiki]. Instead of writing ?!?!?!?!?!!?!??!?!, I can now write ‽‽‽‽‽‽‽‽‽. It seemed great, but it got me thinking. A lot of people these days seem to use lots of punctuation; from "........." to "????????" to "!!!!!!!!!!", one just doesn't seem enough for a lot of people. Traditionally, I suppose, 3 has been standard for people really wanting to emphasise their surprise, etc. But now, 6 or even 14 seem to be the norm. I wonder, when does the clumsiness of using so many question marks outweigh the artistic appeal? When and why did this change in punctuation repetition take place? And, ultimately, how many is too many?

 

[Phlegmak]

Clearly, an unlimited number of question marks is ok.

 

[Mowque]

Two is the most I use and only if I want to mix two of them "?!". Although i will use three or fours dots often.

 

[Theige]

The interrobang rocks.

How do you make one?

 

[Mise]

Two is the most I use and only if I want to mix two of them "?!". Although i will use three or fours dots often.

Do you ever write "..." ? I do it all the time... I don't know why. I guess it's to break the sentence up, and make it sound as though I'm thinking before I say the next thing, if you catch my drift...

EDIT: @Chronic: I use charmap. I don't know its alt code. Oh, and, not all fonts have it!

 

[Mowque]

Do you ever write "..." ? I do it all the time... I don't know why. I guess it's to break the sentence up, and make it sound as though I'm thinking before I say the next thing, if you catch my drift...

Yes, I use it often. That was what I was trying to say, clearly i failed...

 

[Phlegmak]

My previous post was a joke. Now I'm serious:

These are ok:
?
!
?! or !?

Anything more than that is too much.

 

[Mise]

Yes, I use it often. That was what I was trying to say, clearly i failed...

Oh gosh! I completely misread your post! Sorry!!

 

[musekick]

One exclamation point, one question mark, combining the two for confused shock, one period, and three dots for an ellipsis. Anything else just seems ridiculous to me.

 

[emzie]

‽

BEST PUNCTUATION CHARACTER EVER?

Oh, an more than one of the same mark is stupid; an ellipse is different than a period so ... doesn't count. An ellipse trailing a sentence should have a period (or other closing mark) added on (so .... or ... ? or ... !).

 

[Tomoyo]

Any more than three to mean one thing is too many. Under American punctuation rules though, something like

Did he ever ask you, "Have you seen 'Baccano!!??'"

should be fine. "Baccano!!" being the title something, of course.

That is why American punctuation rules suck, by the way.

Any more than three of the same punctuation in a row is automatically bad unless not all of them are for the same purpose.

 

[Aramazd]

Only ? and ! are okay. ?! and !? are pushing it. Anything more is too much

 

[Mise]

I think two exclamation marks (!!) is quite elegant.

 

[Virote_Considon]

I use up to three, usually. I don't like using more.

 

[emzie]

I think two exclamation marks (!!) is quite elegant.

Only when used sparingly to show an abnormal level of surprise, and even then I'd put them in parenthesis as a matter of style. There's nothing elegant in trailing a sentence on their own.

 

[Mowque]

Only when used sparingly to show an abnormal level of surprise, and even then I'd put them in parenthesis as a matter of style. There's nothing elegant in trailing a sentence on their own.

Like Chess notation?

 

[Bill3000]

(!!) doesn't work; (!!!) is better. Only one question mark is okay.

 

[salty mud]

Three is the maximum. Any more just looks tacky and unprofessional, in my opinion.

 

[Theige]

‽

BEST PUNCTUATION CHARACTER EVER?

It looks better like this.

 

[tycoonist]

classic