One space or two?
 

I've always typed two spaces after a period - ever since I took typing in HS. (Just over 40 years ago.)

I saw just recently that Microsoft now considers that an error, and also that resume scanning software detects the extra space. "Two spaces after the period on your resume - dude, you're old - much too old for this job."

https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/24/21234170/microsoft-word-two-spaces-period-error-correction-great-space-debate

This article from 2014 basically says the same thing -

Nothing Says Over 40 Like Two Spaces after a Period!
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/two-spaces-after-period/

So, now I'm struggling with typing two spaces after periods, and then deleting one to "fix it." Am I the only one?

I can't say if you're the only one. I used to use two spaces when using a typewriter, but I've been in publishing for a long time and have gotten into the habit of hitting the space bar once. Typesetting since the early days leaves a variable distance between the last letter of a sentence and the first letter of the next sentence. The double space is a relic of typewriter days when every letter took up the same space on the page. Most typesetting programs now adjust the space between the last letter of a sentence and the first letter of the next sentence according to aesthetics and readability. You can put in two spaces, but most program recognize this and adjust the spacing appropriately.

From what I often read, Nothing says over 40 like using punctuation.

I'm a two space sorta guy. It's just what you do.

Two spaces. Anything else looks sloppy and hasty. Yes, I am old.

Two spaces....it's the little things that drive you crazy.

I got over this years ago...don't know why it bugs some folks...but that's just me...

The more important question..two trailing periods or three...? ;)
I never used to to use them, but now find the thoughts flow faster and the sentences seem to be easier to read using that type of connective spacing.

Same with using single lines, instead of a complete block of paragraphs that encompass a set of related thoughts.
Staying away from the comma key is also still a difficulty.

Perhaps it's just modern laziness.

If your writing is to be output on a type writer then use 2 spaces. If writing is to be used anywhere else then just one space.

How many spaces did I type between this sentence. And this one?
How many spaces did I type between this sentence. And this one?


Answer: 3 for the first, one for the second.

3. And double space for emphasis . . . :D

Most html text editors reduce the number of spaces to one.

When writing term papers to be printed on or from a type writer. Periods are follow by 2 spaces, and lines are double spaced.

I’m a two space guy, I’ve heard that I’m showing my age by doing that but it would be near impossible to switch since the habit is reinforced by typing on the phone where a double space automatically adds the period and starts a new sentence with a capital letter.

Probably not a Bloom County crowd here, but they made a big big push on this a few years back, I never knew it was an issue before that.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they write, so I see "variations" in grammar, punctuation and prose as a bit of a peak behind the curtain.

If'n you peek behind the curtain....yer nutz!
Move along now...nuthin' to see....hear :D?

It occurs to me that I do one space on texts. I do two for everything else. :p

My first printer was a Brother typewriter bodged home made wiring conversion from my Commodore 64. I could produce a flawless typed page since it came from my word processor.

When I got my HP LaserJet 2 that was HUGE and weighed a ton I was in high cotton. I learned to go to single space back then.

Two spaces here, but then I also refuse to use abbreviations in texts and I type out all numbers below 10 rather than use digits. I'm suddenly starting to feel old in cultural terms even though I'm only 51. I have mixed feelings, while on one hand I bemoan the laziness, on the language, both spoken and written, are ever evolving. We no longer thee and thou our way through life.

Yer not old until you realize that you will never ever have to worry about a resume again ;)

Bill!! aack...thppht

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1589553514.jpg

I think Dallas is still pickled.

Speaking of pickled, I'm out of herrings, and Opus is coming over this weekend.

I thought this was another parking lot thread..

I know I am weird in many different ways. :rolleyes:

I have never had, or put together a resume. I was offered a job while I sat in my desk in English class at school while a junior in high school. I worked for him for 6.5 years, moved to OKC, looked in the newspaper, the first place I went to hired me on the spot. I worked there for 26 years until digital photography took over the world and made us a buggy whip company. The remains of that company were bought by a rival and I worked there for three years until my former boss recommended me to a a man in the Aerial photo business. I worked there for 13 years until once again digital put that company out of business because they would not invest in digital. Now I work for myself and we have some pretty cool digital aerial platforms that would be science fiction just 10 years ago.

I'm aware that Microsoft just changed their software. I assume that I can keep typing 2 spaces and it will correct to one, but if it doesn't, I don't care.

It is interesting that resume scanning software looks for 2 spaces.
Yeah, me too.
trailing periods? If you want to type an elipsis, it would be 3 periods. If you want to end a sentence with an elipsis, then it's 4.
It doesn't matter what you type, the forum kills any extra white space. So if you wanted to
indent
several
lines
by four spaces, it doesn't matter. The forum software fixes your silliness for you.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1589554108.jpg

I use Swype as the keyboard on my phone. If I hit space twice on the keyboard, it automatically inserts a period. I'm not sure if it inserts a period and two spaces or just a period and a space or a period and an extra wide space.

A lot of what we do grammatically and in sentence structure was to overcome the limitations of the technology of the time. Even our keyboard layout was so that we couldn't type so fast as to jam the keys in our typewriters.

Now, a lot of the technically unnecessary rules have changed as new technology makes the old readability techniques obsolete.
(Serif fonts vs san-serif, technical features and such.)

Underling is a great example of something that is rarely used as often. It has been replaced with the new advanced bold feature in many style guides.

There is no one hard and fast rule for everything. In fact there never was, but now there are even more options.

The key is that for corporate documents etcetera, that each contributor agrees on the same style. A style guide is created and shared among the contributors for consistency.

Always two.

Hierarchy of ideas corresponds with hierarchy of spaces.

The biggest idea gets its own book or volume. [air gap]

The next biggest gets its own chapter [page break]

The next biggest gets it own paragraph. [line break]

The next biggest gets its own sentence. [two spaces]

The next biggest gets its own word. [one space]

The smallest gets its own letter. [no space]

Too bad JP Stein is not with us, he'd know the answer for sure. he taught me how to speel.

I miss that ole fart sometimes.

Man, the old geezer is strong in this thread.

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...44/247/297.png

^^^^ LOL....and to quote Bernie T...

Oh but they're so spaced out :D

I had to think about this and write something out to make sure. I have never, of never heard of, using two spaces after a period. And I am old!

Rattle. Shame on you. Have you never worked as a civil servant, a bank clerk, ... And use two spaces just to be exciting -to live dangerously.

Not using punctuation can be very dangerous.
ie: "Let's eat, grandma!" or "Let's eat Grandma!"

What does punctuation have to do with spaces!

That confuses me?.....

Two. There should be no other option!;)

Ever take a typing course where you used a typewriter? If you have, then you probably just weren't listening.

Yep....them"s the rules....and rule number one is....obey ALL rules :D

I alway's misuse the quote when it "should" be an apostrophe....I know it's incorrect....but just don't care...

Mebbe he just spaced out in typing class...it happens ;)

Yes, I took typing in high school. They didn't teach double space in NOLA. Ha! It was always like this. And then the next sentence.

Yer excuzed then...anything goez in the "Large EZ" :D