I've just discovered a wonderful book on how the English language is being transmuted through the internet. It's a world without whom: The essential Guide to Language in the Buzzfeed Age by Emmy J. Favilla, the copy chief at Buzzfeed. It's her philosophy that, in matters of usage, follow your heart if there's any gray area at all. There's a great review on the back of the book by Benjamin Dreyer, the managing editor and copy chief of Random House (whose own brilliant book Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style should be on every writer's bookshelf): "I admire Emmy J. Favilla's passionate thoughtfulness about language as much when I agree with her --- 'Serial comma for president! indeed --- as when I don't --- she can messenger over to my office all those poor sad discarded whoms, and I'll give them a good home. Tackling problems so of-the-minute that I didn't know they existed, she displays throughout this witty guide that bracing combination of open-mindedness and sheer willfulness one relishes in a word person." I couldn't have said it better myself.
