When, oh when...

[adderslj]

..will people learn that you don't need to put two spaces after a full stop in word processing?

*mutter, mutter, mutter*

Comments

[aquamarcia.livejournal.com]

If you don't already have it, go to Devon Technologies and download Word Service. One of its functions is to strip extra spaces from text.

[adders.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a dead useful wee Service.

Alas, I'm on a PC here at work...

[andrewducker]

You don't?

Why not?

.<space><space>

[izzylobo.livejournal.com]

In the days of typewriters with monospace typefaces (where every character takes up the exact same amount of space), using . was necessary to seperate "full-stop" ends of sentences from just another space in the text between words.

In the modern day of variable-width typefaces, where an "I" takes up a different amount of space from an "i" or an "x", there is automatic space added to the end of a . (or other full-stop punctuation) - as a result, the space is automatically wider between sentences than between words without you needing to do anything.

In environments where the monospace type is still used, you still need to put two spaces after a full-stop punctuation - for instance, in USENET. But in day-to-day typing, and especially in typing intended for publishing, you shouldn't - all it does is make the typesetter/graphic designer's life more difficult, since they have to do an extra find/replace.

Scott

Re: .<space><space>

[adders.livejournal.com]

Bingo.

[etherlad.livejournal.com]

It is technically correct. It's what I, at least, learned in school, and I automatically do it. I have to consciously think about not doing it.

[adders.livejournal.com]

You were taught incorrectly by people who haven't moved on from typewriters. Check out Scott's explanation elsewhere in the comments for the full explanation.

It's a right pain for us while editing copy for layout, I can tell you.

[tryptophan.livejournal.com]

I, for one, learned to type on a typewriter and, in the absence of any lessons since, still do it the same way. If I worked in an industry that needed single spacing after periods, I would make an effort to change, but until then, I'm afraid the best I can offer is turning on the auto correct in my WP program.

[etherlad.livejournal.com]

I learned it simply as another punctuation rule, not as anything tied to technology (whether typewriters or computers).

But before sending a draft in, I try and ensure I remove all the extra spaces I've inadvertently inserted. (:

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

Probably about the same time that they learn to use one carriage return after a paragraph, not two.

[adders.livejournal.com]

I have slightly more sympathy on that front, because there are appropriate circusmtances for that, such as writing letters. It is a right pain in the proverbial when you're working for magazine or book layout, though.

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but when the style notes you send to every author on every project say quite clearly...

[adders.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's quite different. I was arguing a general case, as the particular piece I was going through when I made the original post was a contributed opinion column by a non-journalist.