That begs a semicolon

As an editor, I have an interest in some fine points of grammar that I'm sure don't interest others. For example, when should one use a semicolon? Answer: Depends. If you're writing in most programming languages, at the end of a statement. If you're writing in a scripting languages, it may be optional at the end of a statement. How about English? The usual answer is that you should have one between independent clauses (think whole sentences) that you want more closely related than a period would allow, but less closely related than a conjunction would provide. What if you are an editor? How about the nape of your neck?

In other editorial news, I was very happy to see a defense of my position: the phrase "begs the question" does not, repeat NOT, mean raise the question. It means almost the exact opposite. It is a term from logic (think Aristotle). It describes a case where an argument assumes what it is supposed to be proving. A simple example from the Nizkor Project, but one that occurs more often than we wish: "If such actions were not illegal, then they would not be prohibited by the law." If you are trying to prove anything beyond the meaning of "prohibited by law," you need to get a better justification.