Please "stop" using quotation marks like that!

[Clancy]

I see quotation marks on everything lately. I saw a guy wearing a name tag the other day. The store had actually put his name in quotation marks.

I said, "So, you're allegedly George?" and he cracked up, knowing what I meant.

Unless you are literally quoting what someone has said or written, please refrain from mangling your sentences, it's painful to watch.

There are a few other uses for quotation marks aside from literal quotes, but emphasizing random words (like "stop" in the title above) is not one of them.

Here's more if you're interested
How to Use Quotation Marks Correctly - wikiHow

[Sara S]

And for a brilliant and funny treatise on all punctuation, read "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss.

I see quotation marks on everything lately. I saw a guy wearing a name tag the other day. The store had actually put his name in quotation marks.

I said, "So, you're allegedly George?" and he cracked up, knowing what I meant.

Unless you are literally quoting what someone has said or written, please refrain from mangling your sentences, it's painful to watch.

There are a few other uses for quotation marks aside from literal quotes, but emphasizing random words (like "stop" in the title above) is not one of them.

Here's more if you're interested
How to Use Quotation Marks Correctly - wikiHow

[podfish]

Its probably an unavoidable part of the change in technology. Writing used to be published either in typeset form or handwritten form. Even thought there "are" ways to control the font in computer-distributed writings, each program has it's own unique way of controlling the representation of characters, and its too much to expect most casual users to learn them. There's something I see a lot in people's writing lately that bothers me too, though - I hope its obvious what "that" is...

I see quotation marks on everything lately. I saw a guy wearing a name tag the other day. The store had actually put his name in quotation marks.

[Clancy]

Nope, what we're talking about here is when people intentionally insert quotation marks, like you did below.

Its probably an unavoidable part of the change in technology. Writing used to be published either in typeset form or handwritten form. Even thought there "are" ways to control the font in computer-distributed writings, each program has it's own unique way of controlling the representation of characters, and its too much to expect most casual users to learn them. There's something I see a lot in people's writing lately that bothers me too, though - I hope its obvious what "that" is...

I see quotation marks on everything lately. I saw a guy wearing a name tag the other day. The store had actually put his name in quotation marks.

[podfish]

a joke explained is a joke that failed... but seriously, I do think it's tough to add emphasis to posts and emails. Using all caps, *other* symbols or smileys doesn't bother me.
Personally, I'm more bothered by weird misspellings. In particular, swapping forgetting that there's no apostrophe in the third-person singular possessive.

unless you were making a meta-joke

Nope, what we're talking about here is when people intentionally insert quotation marks, like you did below.

[Clancy]

I wish I were smart enough to make meta-jokes, I was just in a hurry.

And there is already an effective way to add emphasis, just highlight the word then click on the slanted capital I in the tool bar. You can also make words bold, or you can underline them. Italicized seems to flow the best, don't you think?

a joke explained is a joke that failed... but seriously, I do think it's tough to add emphasis to posts and emails. Using all caps, *other* symbols or smileys doesn't bother me.
Personally, I'm more bothered by weird misspellings. In particular, swapping forgetting that there's no apostrophe in the third-person singular possessive.

unless you were making a meta-joke