two spaces

[jordan]

when you write, do you put one or two spaces after a period? i had it drummed into me from a very young age always to use two, which is now frustrating me, since i've seen a bunch of articles lately about how it's really gauche to use the double space. i thought at first that it was just some trendy crowing by hipsterish blogs like gawker, akin to people who go on about how txt msgng and stuff. but then i read a different article about how a single space is actually the typographically preferred usage, and that the double space only exists because of the single-width of typewriter keys (meaning that using a single space made the period appear like it was in the middle of two sentences rather than at the end of one). to find out for myself, i looked at 'matrix,' which is by far the most typographically elegant publication there is, and lo and behold - one space. so now i have to retrain 20+ years of typing in order to get it right! it's almost not worth the trouble, but it annoys me to do something i KNOW is wrong. (or maybe it's not nearly as wrong as writing in all lower case letters, so i should get over it...)

 

[chronic]

Yeah, it's as you said. In the digital age, one space is preferred since kerning and tracking is generally built into the font (at least in well-designed fonts).

 

[bospress.net]

Yeah, it took me years to figure out that one space is the way to go. I even screwed it up and used two here. Go figure.

Bill

 

[mjp]

There are other spacing rules that are holdovers from typewriters, but I've always used one space after a period. What I've never understood is spaces before punctuation. Or before and after, or any of the other sort of creative uses of punctuation. But then there are a lot of illiterate people in the world, more than I ever would have suspected pre-internet.

 

[Stavrogin]

U meen lyke dis ?,,,,, ore sumptin lyke dat . !,,,,,? < 3 out of 4 youtube commenters approve this message.

 

[jordan]

there was once a troll that put 5 commas at the end of every sentence. now i'm slightly embarrassed that every chance press book to date uses 2 spaces. the switch will be pointed out by future generations the same way people point out the bukowski signatures you can actually read, as opposed to the "Cha Buki" ones of his later years.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

I wouldn't be embarrassed at all about two spaces after a period. I suppose I'm officially a crusty old bugger, but I still rebel against the one space new rule. At work we produce documents as our work product; generally for the same client, so it's important to have some consistency, but I often waver in the one space/two space convention, as it can take months or even years, as well as multiple drafts, to complete a final document. Fortunately, in Word you can search for ".[space][space]" and do a global replace. You just have to be aware of any special cases where this might introduce problems.

So no worries, Jordan, a, er, crusty old bugger agrees with you. At least your style is consistent. And old school.

 

[Stavrogin]

Support what Stickpin says. Keep the style you have. Matter of fact I had to go check out some of my CP titles just now to check this 2 space intrusion. It's not intrusive in the least.

 

[LickTheStar]

I've always used two spaces and I don't think I could stop now. I mean... 20 years of typing the same way? Hell, twenty years of doing anything the same way... Plus I'm just not a good habit breaker.

 

[reasonknot]

As an illiterate, I was putting no space after punctuation. Suddenly, I see this Punctuation, space, punctuation, space comment by you know who and began retraining myself. Then, on my own started also wanting to put a space before some punctuation but, refrained. Double space is probably better than no space. Single space is fine and probably more correct. Relearning is good for the nation.

 

[Rob.]

I will die using two spaces. Hell, my phone automatically inserts a period if I hit the space bar twice.

 

[cunningham]

you see that typewriter over there? it puts TWO spaces.

and so do my stupid typewriter fingers even when they are fondling the internet gingerly.

I am old and sad and cannot learn.

 

[jordan]

does this forum remove double spaces? all the two-spacers defending the technique only have one space after their periods.

 

[cunningham]

I demand my second space back.

 

[hank solo]

does this forum remove double spaces? all the two-spacers defending the technique only have one space after their periods.

That's probably just browser behaviour. Extra spaces are not displayed unless they are non-breaking spaces, which requires a specific html character code. I don't think you can use HTML in the forum text box.

 

[bospress.net]

You can really tell those of us that are over about 35 are the ones using the period-double-tap method....

My guess is that those younger may have just never been taught the single spacing after a period, which is great since it seems archaic now anyway.

I still like the double space, but know that it is looked down upon.

Bill

 

[mjp]

That's probably just browser behaviour. Extra spaces are not displayed unless they are non-breaking spaces, which requires a specific html character code.

This is true, and has been the case as far back as I can remember (Mosaic 1.0 anyone?). The internet killed the double space, don't blame me.

 

[reasonknot]

does this forum remove double spaces? all the two-spacers defending the technique only have one space after their periods.

I noticed the same thing.
What about a book that has random single, double and triple spaces after punctuation?

 

[marina del rey]

Extra spaces are not displayed unless they are non-breaking spaces...

I've noticed that before. I've even gone so far as to hit the 'edit' button on this forum after I posted something to put my second space back in, but it never worked. Now I guess I know why.

But yes, in the real world, two spaces go after each of my sentences and I will make no apologies for it.

 

[esart]

Microsoft Word won't let you double space without putting a correction under it, so I got trained after I moved from the typer to the computer.

 

[bospress.net]

Are you using an apple? Every version of MS Word that I have has let me double space without any errors. I use a PC.

Bill

 

[roni]

you can tell WORD, what to mark or correct. _I'm having a double-space to start this sentence using a cheap trick. _But in real life, I've never done that and never been taught.

Some years ago, the official German spelling changed some things, everybody was used to. Like the word for dolphin 'Delphin' changed into 'Delfin'. I still resent that.

 

[Rekrab]

I always use two -- that's what I learned. I have people tell me it's wrong, but I don't believe them. I've also had an editor at work tell me that the semi-colon should never be used. I ignored him and still use it, when appropriate; he was an idiot.