One or Two Spaces After a Period

elchrist · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 02:23 PM Post subject: One or Two Spaces After a Period

I've noticed many people still use two spaces after ending a sentence with a period. Although there is no exact rule for using one or two spaces (or even three) after a period, most people use two spaces due to learning how to type while in school on a typewriter.

I kicked this "habit" when I first started using the World Wide Web (WWW) and later with e-mail communications. Basically, the majority of Web browsers do not support more than one blank space, unless you hard code it in. It's simply a waste of a keystroke if your working with Web media.

I've done a little research on my own to see if there is in fact a rule, but to no avail. What I most commonly find is graphic designers and typesetters bitching and complaining about how it screws up their layout, so they omit the second space.

I use one space, but will revert to two if someone can tell me why I should.

Americano · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 02:31 PM Post subject:

I was taught that one space is the correct way to do it. That is MLA
correct.

sweetsaviour · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 02:36 PM Post subject:

goddamn thats a good question. well, johnny depp uses two spaces so thats why i use two spaces. no other reason really.....

but from a web designers point of view, i could understand. mr. lowbig from (sp?) calexico high school told us that was the golden rule, but fuck, so much has changed since 1992. if my fellow calecianos use 1 space i will do the same.

hellsieduster · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 02:38 PM Post subject:

one space! 2 spaces is so early to mid 90's.

Mars · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 02:39 PM Post subject:

I do it because when I type a paper on Word this fucking little green squiggly line comes out which annoys the fuck out of me.

In case you are wondering yes, I type my C.com posts on Word first then paste. So F y'all.

elchrist · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 02:41 PM Post subject:

sweetsaviour · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 02:43 PM Post subject:

shit, in this case i would be concerned about the amount of paper i would waste. so no, probably not.

spic-ole · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 04:26 PM Post subject:

I use 2 spaces after each period. Only because people need that extra split second to absorb my powerfully written sentences.

verbal · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 04:38 PM Post subject:

Joe Camel taught me that smoking was cool, so that's why I still use two spaces.

watts · Posted: 21 Jul 2004 08:31 PM Post subject:

I read this Office Standard thing for the firm I work for that said two spaces were used back when things were written on typewriters to provide a visual separation between sentences. But then it said that two spaces are no longer necessary because now computer fonts take into account when the sentence ends and provides a little extra space for the visual separation or some shit like that. I can't really tell the difference but it is a force of habit with me because I learned how to type in Typing I at CHS.

I think the new "standard" is once space now.