Via 538, I'm proud to announce that those of us who support using the serial, or Oxford, comma are on The Right Side of History™:
The poll of 1,129 Americans, conducted from June 3 to 5, showed that the pro-Oxford comma crowd has a somewhat substantial lead overall: 57 percent to 43 percent. ...
Readers had asked how the responses broke down by age, so here’s a chart to show who falls into each comma camp. The younger crowd overwhelmingly prefers the Oxford comma.
This makes sense, since refusing to use the Oxford comma is stupid and barbaric, a product of a bygone era. See also:
This brings me to another point: Please use one, and only one, space after a period. It's the polite thing to do. Yes yes, I know, you were taught (incorrectly!) to use two spaces after a period. Break the habit! It only took me a couple of weeks of concerted effort. You're up to the challenge. I believe in you!
And, finally, data. Oh data. You are one of those tricky words. Data is plural, so you're supposed to say things like "The data prove" rather than "The data proves." This sounds odd to modern ears, however, a fact that probably has something to do with Brent Spiner. I am one of those people who thinks "the data are" sounds odd. So it's good to know that I'm on the right side of history on this one too! More from 538:
To those who prefer the plural, I’ll put this in your terms: The data are pretty conclusive that the vast majority of respondents think we should say "data is." The singular crowd won by a 58 percentage-point margin, with 79 percent of respondents liking "data is" to 21 percent preferring "data are."
Next up: Those awful soccer fans who say things like "England are the weaker team." It's "England IS the weaker team," thanks. (And England is always the weaker team.) We're gunnin' for you!