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    Single Space or Double Space

    Water Closet
    typography time waster
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    • S
      scottalanmiller
      last edited by

      If using semi-colons, at least in this instance, I would keep the "Oxford" semi-colon because the semi-colons add a little bit of uncertainty on their own.

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        nadnerB
        last edited by

        Here is a pictorial guide on use of a semicolon: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon

        http://s3.amazonaws.com/theoatmeal-img/comics/semicolon/header.png

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          NetworkNerdWifey
          last edited by

          I am a single spacer now, but I used to be a double spacer. Does that help? 🙂

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            thanksajdotcom @NetworkNerdWifey
            last edited by

            @NetworkNerdWifey said:

            I am a single spacer now, but I used to be a double spacer. Does that help? 🙂

            I researched this matter once, and the double-spacing thing is from the old typewriter days, and some people carried it over into the digital age. You can use either single or double and neither one is considered incorrect or unprofessional. However, single space is the standard, and has been for awhile.

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              Nic
              last edited by

              I'm still used to doing two spaces after a period, since that is how I learned. Most sites automatically strip it out when I post though.

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                thanksajdotcom @Nic
                last edited by

                @Nic said:

                I'm still used to doing two spaces after a period, since that is how I learned. Most sites automatically strip it out when I post though.

                Yup.

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                • S
                  scottalanmiller
                  last edited by

                  Was just typing an etc. in the middle of a sentence and realized that without single spacing between words and double spacing at the end of a sentence that you cannot tell when etc. is mid sentence or at the end of a sentence!

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                    thanksajdotcom @scottalanmiller
                    last edited by

                    @scottalanmiller said:

                    Was just typing an etc. in the middle of a sentence and realized that without single spacing between words and double spacing at the end of a sentence that you cannot tell when etc. is mid sentence or at the end of a sentence!

                    Context.

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                    • S
                      scottalanmiller @thanksajdotcom
                      last edited by

                      @thanksaj said:

                      @scottalanmiller said:

                      Was just typing an etc. in the middle of a sentence and realized that without single spacing between words and double spacing at the end of a sentence that you cannot tell when etc. is mid sentence or at the end of a sentence!

                      Context.

                      That's a nice thought but that is not how punctuation works and it is very hard to determine context in many cases. One major case is that grammar checkers can't figure out what is going on. There should be no need for context and under traditional style rules no context was needed. The need for context at all is caused by an oversight by overzealous people who think that changing grammar rules simply for the sake of change and not because of style or logic is a good idea.

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                        thanksajdotcom @scottalanmiller
                        last edited by

                        @scottalanmiller said:

                        @thanksaj said:

                        @scottalanmiller said:

                        Was just typing an etc. in the middle of a sentence and realized that without single spacing between words and double spacing at the end of a sentence that you cannot tell when etc. is mid sentence or at the end of a sentence!

                        Context.

                        That's a nice thought but that is not how punctuation works and it is very hard to determine context in many cases. One major case is that grammar checkers can't figure out what is going on. There should be no need for context and under traditional style rules no context was needed. The need for context at all is caused by an oversight by overzealous people who think that changing grammar rules simply for the sake of change and not because of style or logic is a good idea.

                        Pretty sure context works.

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                          Dashrender @thanksajdotcom
                          last edited by

                          @thanksaj said:

                          @scottalanmiller said:

                          @thanksaj said:

                          @scottalanmiller said:

                          Was just typing an etc. in the middle of a sentence and realized that without single spacing between words and double spacing at the end of a sentence that you cannot tell when etc. is mid sentence or at the end of a sentence!

                          Context.

                          That's a nice thought but that is not how punctuation works and it is very hard to determine context in many cases. One major case is that grammar checkers can't figure out what is going on. There should be no need for context and under traditional style rules no context was needed. The need for context at all is caused by an oversight by overzealous people who think that changing grammar rules simply for the sake of change and not because of style or logic is a good idea.

                          Pretty sure context works.

                          That's not the point. Scott's point - I think - is that the rules were never officially changed. Short of laziness why aren't you putting two spaces at the end of a sentence? Why, perhaps it's because you never took typing class, or you had a horrible teacher who didn't mandate the 'rules' to double space.

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                            scottalanmiller @thanksajdotcom
                            last edited by

                            @thanksaj said:

                            Pretty sure context works.

                            "Pretty sure" doesn't cut it either in grammar nor does it authorize sloppiness.

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                              thanksajdotcom @Dashrender
                              last edited by

                              @Dashrender said:

                              @thanksaj said:

                              @scottalanmiller said:

                              @thanksaj said:

                              @scottalanmiller said:

                              Was just typing an etc. in the middle of a sentence and realized that without single spacing between words and double spacing at the end of a sentence that you cannot tell when etc. is mid sentence or at the end of a sentence!

                              Context.

                              That's a nice thought but that is not how punctuation works and it is very hard to determine context in many cases. One major case is that grammar checkers can't figure out what is going on. There should be no need for context and under traditional style rules no context was needed. The need for context at all is caused by an oversight by overzealous people who think that changing grammar rules simply for the sake of change and not because of style or logic is a good idea.

                              Pretty sure context works.

                              That's not the point. Scott's point - I think - is that the rules were never officially changed. Short of laziness why aren't you putting two spaces at the end of a sentence? Why, perhaps it's because you never took typing class, or you had a horrible teacher who didn't mandate the 'rules' to double space.

                              I did take a typing class. I was taught single space. Double-spacing is from the typewriter era, which I was not a part of. Single-spacing is the standard.

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                                scottalanmiller @thanksajdotcom
                                last edited by

                                @thanksaj said:

                                I did take a typing class. I was taught single space. Double-spacing is from the typewriter era, which I was not a part of. Single-spacing is the standard.

                                Double spacing is from the hand written era. It continued into the typewriter era. It continued into the computer era. It's how the language has always been written. It is not an artifact of typewriters no matter what BS someone is trying to sell you.

                                If your teachers screwed up and taught you wrong that's too bad, but they were wrong. Single space is not and never has been a standard. It's just sloppy and it's like "text speak" on a less sloppy, but still sloppy scale. It's just another "teenage" rebellion against clear, crisp communications. You don't say "u r" or "lol" in formal writing, you don't single space either.

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                                • S
                                  scottalanmiller
                                  last edited by

                                  Handily, single spacing is an easy way to identify people who don't take their own writing as seriously. Although with so many systems either automatically adding spaces or removing them it can be tough to tell who is doing it and who is not.

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                                  • S
                                    scottalanmiller
                                    last edited by

                                    Double spacing is only questioned today because of HTML which strips white space. If you are writing in a word process, writing for print or have used computers for any purpose other than HTML then double spacing has always applied and there was never the slightest hint of logic as to why to avoid it.

                                    The web was never designed for quality type reproduction and the lack of double space support is just one artifact of that heritage. Every system meant for quality reproduction does support double spacing. It's an extension of lazy kids who lack all context and think that the web is everything and don't realize why it is lacking on the web and don't realize that double spacing existed always and are used to not using well written documents that they don't realize the importance in both clear communications and in making the written word easier to read.

                                    Sloppy is sloppy. It shows that someone doesn't care about the quality of their output.

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                                      Dashrender @scottalanmiller
                                      last edited by

                                      @scottalanmiller said:

                                      Sloppy is sloppy. It shows that someone doesn't care about the quality of their output.

                                      Well, I will give a little to those who were taught wrong, but only as long as they haven't been told the correct way to do it.

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                                      • S
                                        scottalanmiller @Dashrender
                                        last edited by

                                        @Dashrender said:

                                        @scottalanmiller said:

                                        Sloppy is sloppy. It shows that someone doesn't care about the quality of their output.

                                        Well, I will give a little to those who were taught wrong, but only as long as they haven't been told the correct way to do it.

                                        And never looked it up. I've been exposed to good writing many times in my life, one bad teacher would not have been enough to cause a problem.

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                                          Dashrender
                                          last edited by

                                          If you're a casual writer, why would you look it up (and frankly, where would you look it up?)?

                                          Now AJ's not claiming to be a casual writer, but unless someone brought it up, like this thread, why would you go looking for something you don't know is a problem?

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                                          • S
                                            scottalanmiller
                                            last edited by

                                            You should run into it in style guides. I've been seeing it over and over again all through elementary school, high school, college, etc. And it seems to even come up in IT forums 😉

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