[rjbwork]

Think of them as variables - a stand in for any given file format or modern operating system.

[ofalkaed]

The language itself gets that across without the parenthesis, literally what was said.

[interstice]

Some people like the clarity of dividing up sentences to avoid any possible misinterpretation.

[ashdksnndck]

The parentheses eliminate this alternative interpretation:

> Life is too short to deal with (the ridiculous interoperability of simple music files) and (any modern computing platform).