As an author I laugh whenever I hear about the big debate over the Oxford comma. It's the literary equivalent to the big curly brace on the same vs next line. However, in this instance, as well as certain code scenarios in JavaScript, structuring it one way or another can affect the semantics.

Like code, disambiguating my text is why I generally favor using the Oxford comma in my writing. Not using it is the equivalent to not using parenthesis in a complex logical expression, and defaulting to known order of operations.

Say you want to express:

  Jane and Tom, Bill and Wendy, or Susie and Frank.

In code you would be unambiguous with:

  (Jane && Tom) || (Bill && Wendy) || (Susie && Frank)

So why omit the Oxford comma when it is necessary to disambiguate? It would have saved both parties, as well as the state of Maine a lot of time, money, and headache.