Although I don't do it myself, I've noticed many people use a semicolon to introduce a quotation, for instance: John said of the event; 'it's great to see everyone...' And the other circumstance: using a semicolon to introduce a list, instead of a colon. What is the correct usage of a semicolon in the given examples?
1) To introduce a quotation
2) To introduce a list
3) To separate independent clauses
4) To connect related ideas