real	0m3.133s
user	0m1.788s
sys	0m0.176s

TeX Live 2014 is frozen forever and will no
longer be updated.  This happens in preparation for a new release.

If you're interested in helping to pretest the new release (when
pretests are available), please read tug.org/texlive/pretest.html.
Otherwise, just wait, and the new release will be ready in due time.

\documentclass{scrartcl}

\usepackage{xpatch}

\makeatletter
\patchcmd{\@maketitle}{\par \vskip 2em}{\par \vskip 0.5em}{}{}
\makeatother

\title{Foo}
\author{Bar}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

Hello world.

\end{document}

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\makeatletter
\newcommand{\@ifnextemdash}[2]{%
  \def\@nextemdash{#1}\def\@nextnoemdash{#2}%
  \futurelet\@let@token\@lookforemdash
}
\def\@lookforemdash{%
  \ifx\@let@token^^e2%
    \expandafter\@firstoftwo
  \else
    \expandafter\@secondoftwo
  \fi
  {\@@lookforemdash}%
  {\@nextnoemdash}%
}
\def\@@lookforemdash#1#2#3{%
  \ifnum\pdfstrcmp{\detokenize{#2#3}}{\detokenize{^^80^^94}}=\z@
    \expandafter\@nextemdash
  \else
    \expandafter\@nextnoemdash

\NewDocumentCommand \foo { m m m }
 {
   \str_if_eq:ffTF { #1#2#3 } { — } { Em-dash #1#2#3 }
   { \str_if_eq:ffTF { #1#2 } { » } { Guillemot #1#2#3 } { Nothing #1#2#3 } }
 }

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

\makeatletter
\def\foo{\expandafter\zfoo}
\def\zfoo#1{%
\ifx\UTFviii@two@octets#1%
\expandafter\ztwo
\else
\ifx\UTFviii@three@octets#1%
\expandafter\expandafter\expandafter\zthree
\fi
\fi
#1}


\def\ztwo#1#2#3{%
\edef\tmp{\detokenize{#1#2#3}}%
\edef\ztmp{\detokenize{#1»}}%
\ifx\tmp\ztmp
was a french quotey thing
\else
\expandafter\tmp
\fi}



\def\zthree#1#2#3#4{%
\edef\tmp{\detokenize{#1#2#3#4}}%
\edef\ztmp{\detokenize{#1―}}%

\NewDocumentCommand \foo { }
  { \exp_after:wN \man_dsh_or_rg:n }
\cs_new:Npn \man_dsh_or_rg:n #1
 {
  \cs_if_eq:NcTF #1 { UTFviii@two@octets }
   { \__man_chk_rg:nnn }
   { \cs_if_eq:NcT #1 { UTFviii@three@octets } { \__man_chk_dsh:nnnn } }
  #1
 }
\cs_new:Npn \__man_chk_rg:nnn #1 #2 #3
  {
   \str_if_eq:nnTF { #1 #2 #3 } { #1 » }
    { GUILLEMOT! ~ » }
    { #1 #2 #3 }
  }
\cs_new:Npn \__man_chk_dsh:nnnn #1 #2 #3 #4
  {
   \str_if_eq:nnTF { #1 #2 #3 #4 } { #1 — }
    { EM-DASH! ~ — }
    { #1 #2 #3 #4 }