   ==Localization problems== The usage of the em-dash is different in different countries. In Poland we have many long dashes and they have spaces around. Some kind of long dashes, whether em-dashes or another kind of simmilar length, is also used to separate dialogs in prose:   How are you?  I asked him.   I am  he said with some hesitation  fine.  In German books I read there were single quotes and commas:  'I am', he said, 'fine'.  When using em-dashes for dialogs, one can not embed a pause into the characters words, but instead an ellipsis could be placed:   I am... fine.  Em-dashes are acceptable in plays (drama):  HAMLET  To be  or  not to  be...  Because there is no narration  a drama is simply a long dialog with some comments.  When it comes to aesthetics  most people probably prefer what they are used to.  It is simmilar to source code indentation wars, however, when already consistently used, some styles may be supreme to others.