The style sheet for my work blog mandates the use of only one space after a period, and I follow the same practice here, but I still use two spaces when writing for printed documents. I had been wondering what others do when a friend posted this Slate article on his Facebook page.
Yes, I did have a typewriter like this when I was younger!
According to the author, the typewriter and its monospaced font is to blame for the two-spaces convention. Since we aren’t using typewriters anymore, he says, we should stop wasting space–and time–with double spaces.
I thought it was so cool when my Mom got a typewriter like this at her office.
While I had heard that only one space is needed when using a proportional font, I didn’t realize that I was committing such a typographical faux pas by using two spaces with my favorite Times New Roman font.
What do you do? One space or two?
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I got called out by my proofreader for 2 spaces after a hard stop. Yes, I learned to type on the old IBM typewriter, and didn't use a computer until well into my college years. 2 spaces is what I'm used to. My fingers just do the it automatically, and I can't seem to change that habit. I just leave them in, and run a find and replace after I'm done with the book to correct it.
TWO.
I shall never ever changed. (spacespace)
TWO. I am old school. I know the one is "correct" now, but I continue to do two anyways.
So why just one in your comment? 😉
On-line = one space.
One space!! I majored in writing so I was a die hard two spacer but after my first job as a technical writer, my boss beat it out of me and I haven't looked back since. Fun post!
LOL. I guess I need someone to beat it out of me. It is such a physical reflex.
I'm old – I do two spaces. And, I've read the same thing and think about it every time I double space. Oooh, look – that was one space 😉
TWO – it looks better IMHO. And I do it online too, even though I know it is auto-shrunk to one!
I do TWO and I'll probably never change. I just like it and my fingers just do it naturally!!
ONE! That's what I learned over twenty years ago when I took my first classes in desktop publishing. Putting in two spaces makes for "ribbons" of white space in a page when using proportionally spaced and kerned fonts.
I was in one of the last classes at my high school to have to take typing in the mid-1990s. It drove me crazy then to have to do 2 spaces. Then when I started my career in newspapers in 2000, any reporter who had been there for more than 5 years did 2 spaces. I had to do a Find and Replace for those spaces every single time.
I'm a fan of one space, but my bosses at work and all the work proofreaders then "correct" me. Grrrrrr.
Interesting! I'm always adding that extra space.. It's what I learned in high school, but had no idea why WP made just one space.