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This user expects Misplaced Pages to become a hateful mess as the 2008 US elections approach. Left- and right-wing will cheat, each feeling licensed by some ostensibly deeper truth and by the cheating of the other. Clueless European administrators will engage in biased intervention.
English!
Misplaced Pages editors (including, most certainly, many administrators) seem in constant war against the English language, and they talk through their hats about rules of English.
American editors are likely to insist that a structure is British English, rather than American English, and not admit that it is merely proper English. (I write this not only as an American, but as one of the opinion that British English is in a worse state than is American English, as shown, for example, by the acceptance of “orientate”.)
commas
The actual logic of commas seems to have escaped most editors. Attempting to reason with people about it is somewhat futile; I'll instead cite a few very relevant passages from The Chicago Manual of Style (with underscores added by me):
Dates (6.46)
In the month-day-year style of dates, the style most commonly used in the United States and hence now recommended by Chicago, commas are used both before and after the year. In the day-month-year system — sometimes awkward in regular text, though useful in material that requires many full dates — no commas are needed. Where month and year only are given, or a specific day (such as a holiday) with a year, neither system uses a comma.
States &c (6.47)
Commas are used to set off the individual elements in addresses or place-names that are run into the text. No comma appears between a street name and an abbreviation such as SW or before a postal code.
Proofs were sent to the author at 743 Olga Drive NE, Ashtabula, OH 44044, on May 2. Waukegan, Illinois, is not far from the Wisconsin border. The plane landed in Kampala, Uganda, that evening.
“Junior” &c and “Inc.” &c (6.49 & 6.50)
Commas are no longer required around Jr. and Sr. If commas are used, however, they must appear both before and after the element. Commas never set off II, III, and such when used as part of a name.
Commas are not required around Inc., Ltd., and such as part of a company’s name. As with Jr., however, if commas are used, they must appear both before and after the element.
