One space or two?

[boston bean]

I've always used two spaces following a period at the end of a sentence.

This guy says to only use one:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Space Invaders
Why you should never, ever use two spaces after a period.

Last month, Gawker published a series of messages that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had once written to a 19-year-old girl he'd become infatuated with. Gawker called the e-mails "creepy," "lovesick," and "stalkery"; I'd add overwrought, self-important, and dorky. ("Our intimacy seems like the memory of a strange dream to me," went a typical line.) Still, given all we've heard about Assange's puffed-up personality, the substance of his e-mail was pretty unsurprising. What really surprised me was his typography.

Here's a fellow who's been using computers since at least the mid-1980s, a guy whose globetrotting tech-wizardry has come to symbolize all that's revolutionary about the digital age. Yet when he sits down to type, Julian Assange reverts to an antiquated habit that would not have been out of place in the secretarial pools of the 1950s: He uses two spaces after every period. Which—for the record—is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong.

http://www.slate.com/id/2281146/pagenum/all/#p2

[Tesha]

1. In typewriter (fixed-pitch) fonts, use two. In variable-width fonts, use one.

Nowadays, almost everything you do in the computer world
is done using proper variable-width ("variable-pitch") fonts
by default. For example, our posts here at DU are like that.

You mostly have to deliberately select "Courier"
if you want a fixed-pitch ("monospaced") font. ;)

Both halves of the rule are intended to optimize
readability.

Tesha

[boston bean]

5. I've never even noticed whether someone was using one or two spaces after a period.

What do I know? LOL

I don't know if I can break the habit of using two space after a period.

[Tesha]

7. The good news is that with modern variable-pitch fonts, ...

the <Space> character is so narrow it takes deliberate
effort (such as dragging your "select region" across the
spaces or Microsoft giving the wiggly green underbar)
to see whether there are one or two of them in there. ;)

Tesha

[Tansy_Gold]

9. In MSWord, you can check with the ¶ function

It will show all the spaces as dots and hard returns as ¶.

I work for a couple of major insurance companies and all of the interview and note transcripts must have two spaces after periods.

WordPerfect, for those of us still loyal to that wonderful program, shows every keystroke, every command, in "reveal codes."


Tansy Gold, who works in Word and thinks in WordPerfect.

[Tesha]

13. Seconding Tansy Gold, that function is often called "show invisibles".

It's also handy for sorting out <Tab>s from <Space>s and
<Hard Return>s from <Soft Return>s and once you get into
trickier Word formatting, it (and "Page View") are invaluable
allies; you can't live without them!

Tesha

[CrispyQ]

15. I so relate to your last sentence!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

~sigh. My favorite WordPerfect version was 5.2. I stopped updating it shortly after that since everyone uses Word. I still have my first registered version of WP, DOS(!), on 5.25 floppys with a huge 3-ring binder of 'help.' :D

[TorchTheWitch]

19. I've always much preferred WordPerfect

for a wide variety of reasons. I only use MSWord if I absolutely have to.

[boston bean]

26. I learned Wordperfect first and got use to it. Then Word came along

and I went with the in crowd.

[CrispyQ]

10. This is what I was taught as well.

One space for variable-width, two for fixed.

I once worked for a man who made me edit & re-print a five page letter because I put only one space after the periods. I had a secretary's handbook at my desk & showed him the section that stated that one space was acceptable, but he had me re-do the entire letter. Five pages of letterhead in the recycle bin because he wanted some extra spaces. :eyes: He was the most anal exec I ever worked for.

[May Hamm]

62. Bosses in general like it done their way.

Yeah, sometimes it's annoying to employees but that's they way it goes. Bosses also do not generally smile back when some whippersnapper pulls out the latest edition of Dummies Guide to Secretarying to prove them wrong. LOL But I see you used past tense when you referred to him so it looks like you worked it out to your satisfaction.

[fishwax]

44. exactly n/t

[PBS Poll-435]

2. 1 after a comma or semicolon, 2 after a period or colon.

That is how I was taught.

[InvisibleTouch]

41. Yup, that's how I learned it, too.

Who's to say it's "wrong"? On the web these days, you can't tell anymore, anyway.

[May Hamm]

63. Same here

Except I do not believe I have ever had occasion to use a semicolon.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. He's right - two spaces is wrong. It's a holdover from typewriter days

and fixed with fonts.

[Madam Mossfern]

53. I guess I'm a hold over too

I get very very queasy if I don't double space after a period. For heaven's sakes, you don't know how many pages of my Master's thesis statement I had to crumple up and toss because of this. The margins were a nightmare too along with the proper punctuation, spacing and underlining of footnotes. I ended up giving it to a professional typist who specialized in scholarly papers.

[MadHound]

4. Is this the latest obsession?

Oh geez.

[boston bean]

6. I'll agree it's not all that important, but curious. As I was taught in the 80's

to use two space.

[MadHound]

8. When I was taught typing in the seventies it was two spaces as well,

I simply assumed that all typing rules applied to computer keyboarding. All papers that I've churned out have passed muster, so I guess I'll keep using two spaces.

[Tesha]

11. It's actually possible that Microsoft is quietly fixing your two spaces...

...down to one; I think that's a pretty common "auto
correct" rule.

Tesha

[MadHound]

17. I turn of auto correct off on principle

It forces me to proof read my papers thoroughly, something that a lot of people don't do.

[Fumesucker]

12. With the atrocious spelling and grammar I see in practically all online text..

Who in the hell gives the slightest damn whether you use one space or two?

[Tesha]

14. We purists (the few, the proud, the typographers!) ;-)

[Fumesucker]

16. Eh, If I was a text purist I'd have long since committed seppuku ..

no wht i mn?

[Tesha]

31. 4 sr! (NT)

[TorchTheWitch]

28. these days I'm thrilled if people use capitals, punctuation and actual WORDS

rather than acronyms for damn near everything.

[boston bean]

29. WTH....

i did use capitals tho....

LOL

[May Hamm]

64. Maybe no one who accepts "who the hell gives a damn"

It all depends on the circumstance. I am sure you are correct in thinking that in context where profanity is acceptable, two spaces is probably not noticed.

[nashville_brook]

18. i'm so glad this is being talked about. one space - always.

:evilgrin:

[boston bean]

21. Always? Always? were you taught in typing class to use one space?

[Auggie]

20. One space

[Agent William]

22. That does it. I've had it.

I was starting to get lazy in regards to place two spaces after the end of each full stop. I'll be sure to add two spaces from now often as seeing as conventional wisdom is to only have one space.

[baldguy]

23. One. Two is a waste.

[Hosnon]

27. Exactly. What reason exists for using two?

Except for ease of reading when using fixed-width fonts, which is equally awful on its own

And I can't type without the typographical symbols showing. :-P

[cherokeeprogressive]

34. why even capitalize?

[Hosnon]

46. That's actually a good point. And that convention

has dramatically changed in English (we used to capitalize all nouns).

I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed to see the language e. e. cummings-ized.

[Tesha]

33. ...a waste of {Space}. (NT)

[Darth_Kitten]

24. 2.

it doesn't hurt anybody. ;)

[boston bean]

25. did you put on or two spaces before that smiley?

[Doremus]

30. Proper punctuation requires 2.

At least it used to. Another reminder that I'm getting old.

Heck, I remember when keyboards lacked a number 1 and we had to use lower-case "L." That was a hard habit to break but I finally did after typing several thousand addresses for a freelance customer who printed them off in call-caps. Oops. :blush:

Even still, no number pad for me. That was an unnecessary bastardization of the keyboard and I refuse to participate. :P

[Madam Mossfern]

54. I won't use the numbers pad either

Younger people at work look at me strangely when I use the numbers at top. I remember using lower case "l" for one as well.

[slackmaster]

32. I'll give up my Smith-Corona Sterling portable when they pry it from my cold, dead hands

It got my dad through medical school and me through my undergraduate education and beyond.

[May Hamm]

66. Some days I could use a typewriter

I find myself at times yearning for one when the internet is acting up and I can't print off my documents. Oh for ten minutes and carbon paper!

[OneGrassRoot]

35. I was taught (old school) two spaces after a period, but modern typsetting rules...

changed it to one. Every single character/space that can be saved, is. Grammar be damned.

[REP]

52. Typing is not typesetting. Even hot type used varying sizes of spacebanding to fit type.

Cold type made this process easier, but things like widow and orphan control were usually of a higher priority than uniform space band width after periods. Pull out an old letter press book and a pica pole and check for yourself.

[WinkyDink]

36. One. It's a computer, not a typewriter. (I used one; see how it's visually fine?)

[boston bean]

39. I just used two. See how it's visually fine. Can you see a difference?

[Tesha]

47. You may have typed two spaces (and they'll even be there if you edit your post), ...

...but HTML automatically reduced your spacing to just single
spaces. Unless you're in a <pre></pre> (preformatted text)
block, it *ALWAYS* does that.

Tesha

[TorchTheWitch]

40. I don't think it's visually fine at all

Two spaces would look a whole lot better. It even looks like there is more space between the words than there is between the end of one sentence and the beginning of the next.

[akwapez]

37. I was taught to use 2, but then in the late 90's was told that it changed

to use only 1 space was now correct. The reason I was given for the change was to save paper. This, of course, was when most everything was still printed. I never broke the habit of using 2 spaces.

[AmandaMae]

38. I was taught (in the 90's) to use 2.

I use 1 now but for a long time I thought 2 was the only right way to type.

[Buns_of_Fire]

42. Back when I used a typewriter, two. Now, one.

Either way, it's a government plot. If you only use one space, the muscles in your thumbs will atrophy from disuse, and will fall off. If you use two, you're overworking the muscles in your thumbs, which will lead to over-muscled thumbs and you won't be able to use them at all andallyourwordswillstarttoruntogetherlikethis.

Just to be safe, perhaps we should all start to use three spaces, which I think would cover both options and protect our Purity of Essence and Precious Bodily Fluids.

[Evoman]

43. I only use 1 because I'm lazy and never noticed the difference. My grad supervisor had issues with

that.

He basically made me go back and fix it for my 130 page thesis. I should have known better after he pointed it out on my progress reports, but it never became a habit.

[walldude]

45. So now Assange is GUILTY

of the 2 space rule.

OMFG What next? Next he'll be spelling the teh! Then it'll be grammar anarchy! There will be leaked grammar documents, governments will topple, the end is nigh!


Gimme a fucking break. I hate to use tired internet cliche's.. but this is an EPIC FAIL.

[Tesha]

48. If anyone would like to read a very thorough discussion of this topic, see:

http://www.typophile.com/node/3466

[boston bean]

56. that was an enthralling conversation going on over there...

NOT

LOL

[Nailzberg]

49. Wow. He must be a blast to hang out with.

[ohheckyeah]

50. LOL

This guy has nothing better to do than worry about whether or not someone used 2 spaces after a period? I use two and I'll continue to use two because I just don't give a shit whether 1 or 2 is proper.

[scarletwoman]

51. You'll pry my two spaces after a period out of my cold dead hands...

x(

[Dappleganger]

55. LOL, one of my favorite old arguments!

The answer is one unless you're using an Selectric or manual typewriter, then it is two.

[handmade34]

57. Two because I'm old.

My computer and partner correct me incessantly.

[Quantess]

58. 2 spaces looks better.

I'm going to keep on using 2 spaces.

[Starry Messenger]

59. When did it change?

I'm a two space girl from way back. I don't think it's something I can break myself of.

[krispos42]

60. Two, dammit

I've been using two since freshman keyboarding class in high school and it wouldn't be worth the effort to re-train myself. I don't have that kind of discipline.

It it with great reluctance that I only use one space after a period while texting.

[May Hamm]

61. Two, of course

You young people always want to change everything. I wouldn't even consider using only one space. My finger automatically, (thumb actually,) goes "tap, tap." My hand would probably ache if I tried to stop it from happening. It may not be even possible.

[kentauros]

65. Although I learned to type on an ancient 1920's typewriter,

if they ever taught the "rule" of two spaces, I promptly forgot it, thankfully! ;)

I don't know where I read it, but one thing that two spaces causes on a page is "rivers of white". That is, look at a large paragraph written with double spaces after the periods and you'll see these gaps of space connecting line by line. I guess to typographers and publishers, that's not esthetically pleasing. Who knows? It might even have some physiological problem for our eyes. I don't know; it's just one of those weird tidbits I once read.

Now, this article explains why two-spaces are "wrong". I know working with a friend that did the double spacing in his writing didn't really like it when I did a global-replace and set them all to one space, but his was the only complaint once the work went online. So there! :P

Tip o’ the Day: One space will do