Two spaces after a period?
Do any of you still type two spaces after a period? I learned to type on a typewriter as a kid and that was the style at the time (insert Grandpa Simpson voice here). This entire entry, in fact, I’ll type two spaces after each period.
The first time I’ve been comfortable with one space after a period was once I started using Twitter, because I needed all the space I could get to squeeze my message into 140 characters. And the iPhone will automatically put a period at the end of your sentence if you type two spaces in a row (which then converts it to a period and a space).
But in all my typing I’m always putting two spaces after my periods. I’ve noticed that I can now figure out which copy is mine on our company website, just by looking at the spacing in the html file and finding double spaces after the periods. So apparently I’m the only one at the office who types that way.
Most web browsers will only render a single space after the period. But if you’re looking at the raw text, I find it easier to read with that extra space at the end. I’ve cruised around online and found people who feel strongly in both directions. I’m just not sure if it’s worth it to retrain my thumb after all these years.
So what about you? Do you type one or two spaces after a sentence? Do you hate reading documents that do whichever you don’t do?
I ALWAYS put 2 spaces after a period. I learned to type on a typewriter in a high school typing class. It was so boring and I hated it, but it was probably one of the most useful things I did in high school. I can type 140 words per minute and I used that skill to work as a secretary through both college and grad school. Now it is fun because I can keyboard really fast.
I didn’t know it was no longer the fashion to use 2 spaces after a period. Actually I did notice that on my blog posts the spaces between sentences seemed squished. I think I’ve even gone back into a post and put the spaces back in, but I’ve never thought about it much. I just figured my computer was acting up, as it often does.
It IS easier to read with those spaces there, so I don’t intend to take them out (except on Twitter where I do edit them out, so I can squeeze more wordage in.)
I’m a purist. Stick with the spaces.
Make that 40 words per minute, not 140. 140 would be REALLY fast.:)
1 space after a period on a computer. Fonts are adjusted to give you more space after periods, so two spaces is just too much space! I used to use two spaces until all of my copy-editor friends corrected me.