I Forgot My Mantra is Scott Jackson's webtumblespacelog.

How Do You Type Air-Quotes?

In the real world, I occasionally use the term “New Media.” When I do, I put air-quotes around it, because I like saying it ironically or whatever. I think it’s a dick term, but that’s a whole other thing that I’m not getting into.

I was just writing a thing, and I wrote “New Media.” On the page, “New Media” looks the same as “New Media” in air-quotes, so when I write “New Media” I just look like a dick who’s quoting someone who said “New Media.”

There’s no air-quotes key on the keyboard. Given that “New Media” (air-quotes on that one) is allegedly more conversational than “Old Media” (again, air-quotes), should the medium of writing accommodate it by giving us a way to write things in the manner that we say them?