Are semicolons necessary? Options

[mipadi]

Kurt Vonnegut wrote, "Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college." But I happen to like semicolons; I have been to college and I know how to use them properly. So who's right, Kurt Vonnegut or me?

[libertie]

^LOL

I can't say I like or dislike semicolons - I guess I'm pretty apathetic. However, there are times when I think it just looks right if I separate two related thoughts with a semicolon. I can't say that I'd just stop using them because someone thinks they aren't necessary. Sometimes when a paragraph seems monotonous, it is necessary to break up the sentence structures in order to improve the flow: "I like dogs. Dogs are cool. My dog ate off my plate yesterday. It kind of made me mad. Then he climbed into my bed with me before bed. I forgave him." I'm not saying that a semicolon is necessary anywhere in that group of sentences, but the sentences COULD be regrouped to make it flow better. I will admit to talking like this 90% of the time on the internet, though. :P

I agree that in most conversations with friends, using a semicolon can be perceived as pretentious.. It all depends on who you're talking to, I think. Just for the record, I have avoided a few opportunities to use semicolons in this post. >.>