Readers may enjoy my article “Web Standards for E-Books” at A List Apart, particularly the sections on exactly which typographic features E-book files should and must not contain. (Of the latter: Ligatures, hung punct, hyphens.) I’m sure that Bringhurst apologists, who are a lot like Ayn Rand apologists, will fulminate with rage at what I have to say about the em dash.
Thanks for an interesting and useful article, although the words about 'Bringhurst apologists' seem rather beside the point in this time and place.
Rather like Allied soldiers, who vowed to fight Jerry at every turn, Bringhurst apologia must be opposed with the full force of an invading armada.
Far from fulminating with rage I take note of the fact that em dashes are not used in the setting of Elements of Typographic Style. En dashes are used, surrounded by spaces.
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