In Chinese, a reference work that mainly covers a word's basic meaning, usage, pronunciation, and example sentences is called a cídiǎn (词典, dictionary). One that instead emphasizes detailed interpretation -- cultural background, usage distinctions, and so on -- is called a cídiǎn too, but written differently: 辞典. This page is my 辞典: it's here to help you understand what I mean by certain words, and how I tend to write.

The first time I bring up a term, I'll usually explain it, which typically includes:

  • The term's original name and its Chinese translation
  • An objective definition, usually pulled from Wikipedia
  • An example

For instance:

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is a standard markup language used to create web pages.

I mix and match AI, LLM, artificial intelligence, generative AI, generative LLM, generative large language model... depending on context. Readers are on their own to sort it out.

Same goes for web, website, site, network...

I use corner brackets, 「」, to set off any text I feel needs to be pulled out of the sentence for special attention. But when that text is in English, I use italics instead -- unless the English is mixed in with Chinese characters.

For instance:

HTML files use .htm and .html as their extensions. They're plain text files, editable with Notepad, WordPad, or any similar text editor.

Berners-Lee considered HTML an application of SGML. In mid-1993, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) published the first proposal for an HTML spec -- the Hypertext Markup Language Internet Draft, written by Lee and Dan Connolly.

That last example also reflects another habit of mine: I write people's names in whatever language they themselves use, though in practice that's mostly English or Chinese. Once I've already introduced someone by their full name, I'll refer to them afterward by surname.

For instance:

Donald John Trump is an American businessman, politician, and the 47th President of the United States. Trump's middle name is John; his eldest son is named Donald John Trump Jr.

Unless a person's given name is simply more recognizable, in which case I'll use that instead. Those cases are rare, though.

I've drifted toward using less and less inline markup over time -- partly for better compatibility with my capsule, partly because it's honestly a hassle to write. That said, here's how I use it when I do:

  • Bold: means this sentence is the one thing in this block you shouldn't skim past. I use it sparingly, since too much of it gets distracting and hurts readability
  • { % em % }emphasis marks{ % endem % }: highlight something I specifically want you to notice, usually a word or a single character -- sometimes with a bit of a teasing tone
  • underline (wavy): flags a term's first appearance, one you could look up on Wikipedia

I talk with a bit of a playful streak now and then, and crack jokes. Some I'll explain. Others I won't.