Spaces between sentences.

[CZroe]

Ugh. You keep editing and I keep having to respond to your edits too.

So the explanation is that it's an old-school method based from old school typing. So now it is "totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong". No, I don't understand. Not a requirement and completely wrong are 2 different things. It seems like someone just got up one day and made a hardened rule just because it is no longer used. What makes them the authority to call it completely wrong, seriously?

See my previous reply.

And you should just drop the "technical writing" course thing from your argument. Clearly they did not state it was wrong to you and that's your whole purpose here.

Uh, no. I did not use my Technical Writing course to state that it was wrong. You attempted to use technical writing to prove that it was right. I took that rug from under you and used a different argument for why it was wrong. Got it?

So are you pointing out that teachers are right or is the optional oxford comma wrong?

I'm pointing out that we should probably use the comma in all formal writing subject to the discretionary judgement of someone else.

 

[CZroe]

I don't recall ceding control of the language to typographers.

It's not about language. It's about spacing and physical distance between characters in a typeface. You have no control over how much space the letter l takes on a page, so control is not yours to cede. They do control this.

 

[IronWing]

I'm pointing out that we should probably use the comma in all formal writing subject to the discretionary judgement of someone else.

I use the final comma in lists because it is clearer. The appeal to authority is unnecessary.

 

[IronWing]

It's not about language. It's about spacing and physical distance between characters in a typeface. You have no control over how much space the letter l takes on a page, so control is not yours to cede. They do control this.

I have control over the number of spaces to use (except in html). I see no reason to change.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I have control over the number of spaces to use (except in html). I see no reason to change.

Not if you're publishing anything. If you write something to be published, someone else will do the editing and layout of what you write, and they will remove all your extra, unnecessary spaces.

So I guess you really don't have any reason to change. You can keep typing the way you have been and your extra spaces will just disappear, either when they hit a web page or when they're sent to a publisher.

 

[CZroe]

I use the final comma in lists because it is clearer. The appeal to authority is unnecessary.

"Authority" often demands it in formal writing for the same reason. Because there is never a reason NOT to and it is demonstrably clearer I now use it every time.

 

[CZroe]

I have control over the number of spaces to use (except in html). I see no reason to change.

Just like they set the length of the spaces between sentences on printing presses of old, they set the length of the space you deemed to be not long enough in font sets of today. If a particular font had spaces that were 66.6% of normal, would you chose to use three spaces at the end of a sentence just because you insist on more white space with a font clearly designed to reduce it?

The problem with monospaced fonts is that there was too much unintentional white space inside words making it difficult to pick out the deliberate white space without adding extra there too. Yes, with the technology of the day, the simplest solution to too much white space harming readability was to add even more white space. With variable-width characters on computers and electric typewriters, white space between letters is no longer a problem unless you stubbornly use Courier New for everything.

Before I ever used a PC I learned typing on a mechanical typewriter we got at a yard sale in 1990 and yet I accept this. I used two spaces on the mechanical typewriter, understood why, and did NOT use two spaces when I used anything else. If only more people questioned why they do things so that they could apply logic.

 

[Ichinisan]

This

Im shocked at the results... 50% of people here seriously use double space? Ive never even heard of that before, nor was it taught in school where I come from

Is this another retarded american thing like imperial measures? That would explain it

Try again. Where did imperial measurements originate?

 

[WelshBloke]

Try again. Where did imperial measurements originate?

In the old days before we knew better.

 

[Ichinisan]

Thing is it still applies to this day (making text more readable). For example, your multi-line, single paragraph post would be easier on the eyes with double spaces.

If he had used two spaces, they would always be rendered as single spaces in every single web browser. So, no. Double-spacing would not have made his post easier to read.

This line has 1 space(s) between each word.
This line has 2 space(s) between each word.
This line has 8 space(s) between each word.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Try again. Where did imperial measurements originate?

So basically you guys still decided to use Imperial even though by the time your country became a country there was another, better system of measurement?

 

[CZroe]

So basically you guys still decided to use Imperial even though by the time your country became a country there was another, better system of measurement?

Who said it has anything to do with the establishment of a government? The people individually decided what they wanted to use and they could decide on something different tomorrow without overthrowing their government and establishing a new metric-friendly one. It existed when the country was founded but the founding was completely unrelated. The British Empire was free to adopt it way-back-when too and the fact that it wasn't re-established at the same time was irrelevant.

 

[Ichinisan]

Thing is it still applies to this day (making text more readable). For example, your multi-line, single paragraph post would be easier on the eyes with double spaces.

If he had used two spaces, they would always be rendered as single spaces in every single web browser. So, no. Double-spacing would not have made his post easier to read.

This line has 1 space(s) between each word.
This line has 2 space(s) between each word.
This line has 8 space(s) between each word.

That last line is so much easier to read. I'm going to type this way from now on.

 

[IronWing]

N________e________c________r________o.

 

[Ichinisan]

N________e________c________r________o.

Poll is pretty damn close.

 

[Ryland]

I was taught in the 70s that it is always 2 spaces after a period. Im not sure where this 1 space BS is coming from since then it becomes difficult to tell the difference between the start of a new sentence and the space between words...

 

[IronWing]

Poll is pretty damn close.

Dude, that's fucked up. Get a life. :biggrin:

 

[slag]

Back in the late 80's I was taught to use 2 spaces.. I still always use 2.

Yep. We were taught to use two spaces in school. Where does this one space stuff come from?

 

[slag]

You can't even double space in Word. It'll autocorrect to 1. Well, I guess you could change the autocorrect preferences, but that should tell you what is the accepted standard.

I just tried this by using the normal and correct two spaces in MS Word and it did not auto correct for me and I have no special preferences set up so two is still correct.

 

[CZroe]

I just tried this by using the normal and correct two spaces in MS Word and it did not auto correct for me and I have no special preferences set up so two is still correct.

LOL at this horribly flawed logic!

 

[Homerboy]

This is still an argument? The need for two spaces came from fixed width fonts that were used on mechanical typewriters.

Today, unless using a mechanical typewriter, you do not need to and SHOULD NOT use a double space due to proportional fonts.

There is no arguing this.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I always use 2. Nothing wrong with doing it either way. For kicks, I googled that in the MLA formatting guide and they've changed it over the years to reflect that 1 is now the norm and 2 is ok too.

 

[slag]

Hold the press. APA still requires 2 spaces in all drafts as per their 6th edition publication. MLA says to use one.

APA > MLA for business settings which most of us old farts are discussing. MLA is for students, kids, texting, social interaction. So, both can be correct, and you can use your single space for texts, facebook, and the like, but when you mature and/or get into a field of business and start working, you had better start using 2 spaces at the end of a sentence.

APA Format is widely used in psychology, business, education, engineering and the social sciences.The latest APA manual is called: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, sixth edition.

MLA is often called name-and-work style. For high school and undergraduate students, the manual is called: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, seventh edition.

 

[slag]

LOL at this horribly flawed logic!

I never said it was logical.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Even after almost three years since the start of the thread, I still use one space after period. If you can't see a period after an end of a sentence, then I can see why two spaces would be preferred. 1 > 2