Notes on styling  ⌇ Things you will see on this website & what they mean

This page was published on

It was last updated on

There’s a few things I do on this website that might be a bit different to what you see on other websites, so I thought I would let you know about them.


Brackets

I use a number of different brackets on elliottbledsoe.wtf. Broadly speaking, I use them to isolate certain text from the surrounding text. I do this for a range of purposes.


Angle brackets

I use angle brackets (sometimes called brokets) – the fore-facing angle bracket () and the back-facing angle bracket () – frequently on this website.


Angle brackets to indicate my thoughts

Often I want to make less formal comments on text included on this website. Typically I will add these thoughts in-text enclosed within angle brackets – the fore-facing angle bracket (⟨) and the back-facing angle bracket (⟩).


Angle brackets to indicate steps in instructions

When I am providing users with instructions on how to do something I separate each step using a back-facing angle bracket ().


Curly brackets

I use curly brackets (sometimes called braces) – the fore-facing brace (U+007B {) and the back-facing brace (U+007D }) – infrequently on this website.


Curly brackets to disclose AI content

As noted on information about how I disclose the use of AI-generated content on elliottbledsoe.wtf provided elsewhere, typically I will provide information about the use of AI-generated content enclosed within braces – the fore-facing brace (U+007B {) and the back-facing brace (U+007D }). This may occur in-text and/or in the Credits and Disclosure sections of the web page.


Round brackets

I use parentheses (sometimes called round brackets) – the fore-facing parenthesis (U+0028 () and the back-facing parenthesis (U+0029 )) – regularly on this website.


Round brackets to indicate extra information

Sometimes I use parentheses to break up information. Most commonly, I use them to add supplementary information such as secondary ideas, notes and other adjunctive material that clarifies the preceding point.

Other times I use spaced en dashes for the same purpose.


Round brackets for referencing

Where cross-references to other parts of content on a page are made they are enclosed in parentheses.


Square brackets

I also use square brackets (sometimes called crotchets) – the fore-facing square bracket (U+005B [) and the back-facing square bracket (U+005D ]) – semiregularly on this website.


Square brackets to modify quotes

If I have inserted a word omitted from quoted material or I have made modifications to a quote I will indicate this using square brackets at either end of the addition or modification.


Square brackets for referencing

Where I include in-text citations referring to another source I do so enclosed within square brackets. Typically this includes the surname of the author, the year of publication and the page number (if applicable). For each source referenced on a web page a corresponding reference is included in a reference list that provides further information about the source.


Dashes

En dashes

There are a number of situations where I use an en dashes (U+2013) on elliottbledsoe.wtf.


En dashes to indicate extra information

Sometimes I use spaced en dashes at either end of text to break up information. Most commonly, I use them to add supplementary information such as secondary ideas, notes and other adjunctive material that clarifies the preceding point.

Other times I use parentheses for the same purpose.


En dashes to separate information

For lists of useful links and for reading lists I separate the author or authors of content from the publication date using an en dash.


Highlighted text

Key terms are highlighted

I use a plug-in to manage a glossary of important terms which are automatically highlighted in-text.


Instructions are highlighted

Where I have included instructions the full set of instructions are highlighted in the spot colour for the web page displayed at 25 per cent transparency. Where no spot colour is set for a page, the default primary colour is used.


Symbols

Information symbol

The information symbol or Circled Latin Small Letter I (U+24D8) is used to indicate the start of a set of instructions.


Wavy line symbol

The wavy line (U+2307) is used to separate the type of content and the web page title for some pages.