Ah. Now, I don't think they're two separate problems: the second one is an extension of the first. In my view, the problem with the Oxford Comma is that it complicates matters, without going far enough.
Actually, this is partially a reaction to the pedantry of OED lexicographers, who will completely ignore the meaning of an email, whilst (or while ;) still complaining about the missing comma.
Of course, the OED is a bit of a special case, since it does consist mainly of lists, and quite frequently lists of lists. In normal writing, you rarely get such constructs, and the Oxford Comma works quite adequately: I've re-started using it myself!
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2004-01-14 08:08 am (UTC)Actually, this is partially a reaction to the pedantry of OED lexicographers, who will completely ignore the meaning of an email, whilst (or while ;) still complaining about the missing comma.
Of course, the OED is a bit of a special case, since it does consist mainly of lists, and quite frequently lists of lists. In normal writing, you rarely get such constructs, and the Oxford Comma works quite adequately: I've re-started using it myself!