Kwami puts it perfectly Mr Anderson who has been site banned for a week again is making this a WP POINTY part of his campaign to reduce the style guides to well nothing He has actually done us a service in raising matters to do with the relationship between the MoS and external sources and between the MoS and WP TITLE But I believe he should give his campaign a rest it is highly disruptive and we all have better things to do Yes dashes vs hyphens carry important meanings for readers and are a long established part of the language It is yet more important since readers see our text on electronic monitors often they are not of the best resolution and no one sees it as well as on paper in good light Hyphens can look like dots or smudges in many circumstances This might be OK for when a hyphen is correct but when a dash is prescribed by many of the most prestigious authorities in the US the UK and elswhere it is professional to use it This debate needs to be at MoS talk not here talk