The point isn't that we should do away with the semicolon; the point is that many many many people don't know how to use it properly. Gawker just made a funny out of it all; it was a pretty good funny too, I thought. I also use the semicolon a lot; see how I keep dropping the SC?

I absolutely agree with your Strunk & White regime, Erik. And I also like the notion of the exlacomma, Michael! Hooray for innovation in punctuation!

Don't get me started on the em-dash/colon conundrum.