One space or two spaces after a period?

[MyndFyre]

MLA and CMS disagree with you. APA is the only style guide I've seen that advocates the archaic method of 2 spaces after a period.

Since I did all of my college writing in APA, I guess that makes sense, then.  :)

[dark_drake]

It really doesn't matter to me.  I've never stopped and criticized someone's post/blog/paper/etc. for using differing conventions. A lot of time it's not even that noticeable.

What about indentation vs. an extra blank line for new paragraphs?

[deadly7]

"archaic"?  I don't think that's a good word for this situation.

I use two.  The choice is completely arbitrary, and there are advantages to both ways.

From my understanding, two spaces after a period spawned from the typewriter generation. The monospaced font used was not very clear in what was a broad space (eg those found at the end of sentences) and a regular space, so two spaces were adopted for ease-of-reading. In the modern day, it's font-face dependent. Most fonts that people use on a day-to-day basis don't need to be adjusted.

And, of course, the typewriter generation taught OUR generation how to use computers/write, so they passed down the legacy of double-spacing.

[Blaze]

"archaic"?  I don't think that's a good word for this situation.

I use two.  The choice is completely arbitrary, and there are advantages to both ways.

From my understanding, two spaces after a period spawned from the typewriter generation. The monospaced font used was not very clear in what was a broad space (eg those found at the end of sentences) and a regular space, so two spaces were adopted for ease-of-reading. In the modern day, it's font-face dependent. Most fonts that people use on a day-to-day basis don't need to be adjusted.

And, of course, the typewriter generation taught OUR generation how to use computers/write, so they passed down the legacy of double-spacing.

So.. what you're saying is that the single space is older?  'archaic' isn't the right word!  :P

[Ender]

I always do one space.

It's interesting to note that the concept of a single unit of whitespace (colloquially, a "space") doesn't make any sense in a hand-written letter. Thus, whatever standards exist for this issue are pretty "young" so to speak - much more recent than other standards pertaining to writing. So perhaps it's understandable there isn't a wide consensus on this issue.

Also: this thread deserves a poll.

[Blaze]

While units of space don't make sense, the size of a space does exist in writing (indentations, for example, have to be of a noticeable size).  You can translate that to amount of spaces quite easily.

[deadly7]

So.. what you're saying is that the single space is older?  'archaic' isn't the right word!  :P

Age does not correlate to relevance. From dictionary.com (I'm sure the OED has a similar definiton, I'm too lazy to look it up there though):

marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated: an archaic manner; an archaic notion.

The use of double spaces in regular typeset is due largely to the use of double spaces in monotype. Since 99% of text is not monotype, I say that double-spacing is archaic.

[iago]

It really doesn't matter to me.  I've never stopped and criticized someone's post/blog/paper/etc. for using differing conventions. A lot of time it's not even that noticeable.

You've clearly never been an editor. :)

[Rule]

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[MyndFyre]

The use of double spaces in regular typeset is due largely to the use of double spaces in monotype. Since 99% of text is not monotype, I say that double-spacing is archaic.

I disagree.  I find the extra space, even in situations in which I'm typing or reading in an adaptively-spaced font, to make it easier to find the ends of sentences and such.  It provides an extra visual clue to your brain even if you're not cognitively aware of it.

[CrAz3D]

And, of course, the typewriter generation taught OUR generation how to use computers/write, so they passed down the legacy of double-spacing.

That is where I am coming from.  I read an OPED in Texas Tech's student paper where some pretentious douche was whining about this shit, so I decided to post this to my more educated forum people.  And honestly, I'm 24 and learned to type on a typewriter...not a computer...like a fucking mechanical non-electric typewriter.

I noticed in my case books that the authors only have one space between sentences.  Also, recent Supreme Court decisions use only one space.  I guess I should attempt to switch.

[deadly7]

I disagree.  I find the extra space, even in situations in which I'm typing or reading in an adaptively-spaced font, to make it easier to find the ends of sentences and such.  It provides an extra visual clue to your brain even if you're not cognitively aware of it.

I'd say it depends on the medium you are reading. If I'm reading printed things, it makes no difference or the two spaces are sometimes enough to actually slightly disrupt my reading flow. I'm reading x86 on a screen that's ~20" wide. There double spaces makes a slight difference, but I still see it "sticking out" like a sore thumb. Fonts are typically autokerned now to make a single space after a period appear larger, anyway.

That is where I am coming from.  I read an OPED in Texas Tech's student paper where some pretentious douche was whining about this shit, so I decided to post this to my more educated forum people.  And honestly, I'm 24 and learned to type on a typewriter...not a computer...like a fucking mechanical non-electric typewriter.

I noticed in my case books that the authors only have one space between sentences.  Also, recent Supreme Court decisions use only one space.  I guess I should attempt to switch.

A link to that oped would be for the lulz. College op-eds are a true societal gem.

It really depends. Most law style guides I've seen say to single space, but YMMV.

[CrAz3D]

Linkity link link:
http://www.dailytoreador.com/opinion/article_3b683d9c-2378-11e0-a1b4-00127992bc8b.html

[CrAz3D]

ah!  this "issue" has come up in a group project.  2 of us are from the law school (where it just depends on who you work for whether 1 or 2 spaces), and one is from main campus (we're all in a personal financial planning class), and she is used to 1 space.

I've decided that since I'm basically leading the project, we will use 2 spaces, so I'm going back through everything and adding spaces.  sigh,

[Blaze]

I'd replace all ".{space}" with ".{space}{space" and then replace all "{space}{space}{space}" with "{space}{space}"