Factbox: The Oxford Comma

Recently there has been a lot of drama over the use of the oxford comma. According to the Associated Press, some of the punctuation mark's fans became ridden with angst after rumors on Twitter erupted that Oxford University was changing the rules for comma usage. The university has since said the report was "imprecise, incomplete and misleading." The news left some wondering, "What is an oxford comma anyway?"

In case you are in the second group, here is all you need to know about the oxford comma:

* The Oxford comma is also known as the serial comma, the series comma, or the Harvard comma.

* The term "Oxford comma" originated from the Oxford University Press, where as a rule it was used by its printers, editors and readers.

* The Oxford comma is used prior to the word "and" in a series of three of more items. For example: I am a writer of short stories, historical fiction, and travel articles. In this sentence the Oxford comma is used after the word "fiction" and prior to the word "and."

* The U.S. Government Printing Office, the British Broadcasting Corporation, The Chicago Manual of Style, and the 1918 book "The Elements of Style" are just a few of the publications that advocate the use of the Oxford comma. Others include the American Medical Association and Wilson Follett's "Modern American Usage: A Guide."

* The Cambridge Review of International Affairs says specifically in its instructions to authors: "Do not use a serial comma, unless necessary to avoid ambiguity."

* The editor of the Associated Press Stylebook, David Minthorn, has this to say on the use of the serial comma: "In a simple series, AP doesn't use a comma before the last item."

* In Canada, the use of the Oxford comma is optional. At the Language Portal of Canada, it says, "a comma before the final and is optional...as long as the meaning of the sentence is clear, the comma before the final and may be omitted."

* The Canadian Press Stylebook, recommended by the University of Alberta, seems to contradict this. It states, "Put commas between the elements of a series but not before the final and."

* Ezra Koenig, lead singer of the Indie pop band Vampire Weekend, had this to say about the controversial punctuation mark, "Who gives a (expletive) about the Oxford comma?"

* The Oxford comma even has its own Facebook page. Proponents of the serial comma can "like" the page and discuss its usage endlessly if they so desire. The famous punctuation's Facebook page says its mission is to "Educate the public about the usefulness of the Oxford comma." There are currently 19,807 Facebook members who have "liked" the page so far.

* "Ode to the Serial Comma" is a poem that was recently posted on Facebook and written by Ami Hendrickson, honoring the Oxford comma. "Oh, comma, my comma, That comes before 'and', To separate elements so each can stand, On its own. I salute you."

* The rumor about the Oxford comma's use (or disuse) was started by an online guide that had been out for several years. It was meant for use by university staff on writing press releases and for internal communications.

* After said rumor caused thousands of debates, numerous headaches, and possibly even numerous panic attacks, it turns out that nothing has changed. The Oxford University Press "permits the thoughtful use of the Oxford comma," according to Media Bistro.

Who'd have thought something so small could stir up something so big?