Punkchewashun (Punctuation)

[Tanuki Racoon]

The practice of putting two spaces after a period by some writers persists. It's just not right any more and it irritates me. I thought I'd make a thread. The Chicago Manual of Style (and the others) no longer recognize the double space. I thought I'd rail against it here.

Three quick references, though Google shows thousands:

http://safari.peachpit.com/0321169662/ch13lev1sec4

http://www.aeonix.com/comntypo.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FA...aceorTwo02.html

Your modern word processor accounts for the full stop (period) when you print. That is a period is automatically sent out as 1.5 spaces so when you double space, guess what can happen.

(If using a monospace font: courier, monaco, etc, the double space is still allowed if you absolutely insist.)

So here ya' go. DON'T DO IT ANYMORE :)

[Abraxas]

Last week I couldn't even spell punkchewashun, now I are one...

[The Pecman]

I learned how to type when I was 12, so breaking the 40-year old habit of spacing twice after a period is tough. After getting beaten up by copy editors from a few magazines in the late 1980s (when we were starting to deliver text files electronically), I finally weaned it out. But it still pops up now and then.

I try to do a global "replace two spaces with one space" search-and-replace whenever I finish a chapter or an article, and usually I catch them. But I agree: typographically, two spaces after a sentence looks like crap. And (as you say) it can lead to weird formatting problems with HTML, though better HTML editors and converters like Dreamweaver will automatically strip them out.

You can make the argument that double spaces work OK with Courier and other monospaced fonts, but the modern scripts I read occassionally are now done with one space, all typed in Courier 12.

[Cole Parker]

The practice of putting two spaces after a period by some writers persists. It's just not right any more and it irritates me. I thought I'd make a thread. The Chicago Manual of Style (and the others) no longer recognize the double space. I thought I'd rail against it here.

Ah, these young whippersnapper, comin' along and screwin' up the ways we be doin' our bizness fer as long as they's been here after crawlin' outs they's mama's bellies and bawlin' like wee little piggies. They don't know nuthin', yet persist in tellin' us hows to do our stuff. I'm gettin' dern tard of this bull*&^%^$&%, I ken tells ya!

Two spaces makes the page look better. That's all there is to it. Now I unnerstand why you cover up that face a yourn with that sillyass mask. I always thought it was just cuz you were so ugly ya were protecting us from lookin' at ya. Now I sees it's cuz you don't want to be recognized. I don't blame ya, comin' up with damn fool notions like this. Silngle spaces indeed!

Hey, do whats ya want. The rest of us who care what the page looks like will continue to do it right! Ha!

So much for yer high falutin', modern ideas. I don't give a fart in the wind fer 'em.

C

[Camy]

I never knew there were people who did put two spaces after a period. It sounds exciting. I must try this thing.

[TalonRider]

Some of my authors double space, some don't. I've never considered it an issue.

Jan

[Cole Parker]

Jan's remark is the perfect one on the issue. Covers it completely.

C

[colinian]

The practice of putting two spaces after a period by some writers persists. It's just not right any more and it irritates me. I thought I'd make a thread. The Chicago Manual of Style (and the others) no longer recognize the double space. I thought I'd rail against it here.

Three quick references, though Google shows thousands:

http://safari.peachpit.com/0321169662/ch13lev1sec4

http://www.aeonix.com/comntypo.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FA...aceorTwo02.html

Your modern word processor accounts for the full stop (period) when you print. That is a period is automatically sent out as 1.5 spaces so when you double space, guess what can happen.

(If using a monospace font: courier, monaco, etc, the double space is still allowed if you absolutely insist.)

So here ya' go. DON'T DO IT ANYMORE :)

Bless you! Two spaces following a period is one of my pet peeves. What I don't understand is why young guys, teens especially, persist in following this habit. When I first to Creative Writing in Intermediate School I was told "ONE space, and ONLY one space, follows any punctuation mark!" My mom tells me that the two spaces were something she learned when she took typing in junior high school. Well, no one takes "typing" any more. We take "keyboarding". And there's no good reason, heck, there's no BAD reason, for putting two spaces following a period. I agree with WBMS: If you're doing this, STOP IT! Pretty please?

Colin

[DesDownunder]

Well I never heard of the two space thing, which just goes to prove how far advanced the Aussie education system was, or how far behind it was and now it doesn't have to spend millions of dollars correcting bad typing practices after spending untold sums of money for committees to decide if it needs to be corrected at all.

Of course they may spend lots of money deciding if they should introduce two spaces so they can then spend more money to catch up with the rest of the world. We hate to not be doing what everyone else is doing.

[Trab]

Strangely enough, I was taught to do the two spaces after periods, but never did, except during a typing test. I always thought it was a waste of energy, and just refused to do that. There's something to be said for being a stubborn Taurus.

[Cole Parker]

I'll stop putting two spaces after a period when someone gets Picasso to stop putting two eyes on one side of a nose.

C

[Trab]

You have to forgive Picasso. He's just floundering around in his artwork.

[Cole Parker]

Hey, I didn't think you AS guys were able to come up with stuff like that! That's very clever! I'd never thnk of a play on words like that.

C

[Trab]

Well, as I've mentioned before, we are pretty witty, but not terribly so. Maybe only about 50%. (half witted)

[TalonRider]

This topic reminds me, I haven't posted anything in the Editors Desk for awhile. So, I'll do the one on punctuation.

Jan

[Tanuki Racoon]

I'll stop putting two spaces after a period when someone gets Picasso to stop putting two eyes on one side of a nose.

Okay, I can confirm Mr. Picasso is dead. He will NEVER AGAIN put two eyes on one side of the nose. In compliance with your statement above, you shall no longer put two spaces after a period. You said it, there are witnesses, and the condition of agreement has been fully satisified.

[Cole Parker]

Show me the death certificate that says he was murdered. If not, he wasn't estopped from putting eyes wherever he wanted to, he just did when his life certificate expired.

Sorry, no soup for you.

C

[DesDownunder]

How do we know he wasn't reincarnated?

[EleCivil]

When I glanced at the topic list, I read the title to this thread as "Punkenschwarzen," and assumed that it was about some German punk band. Naturally, I was quite disappointed to discover that it was, instead, a thread about one of my own habits. That's right - I'm a double-spacer. And nothing short of a broken right thumb is going to stop me! It's just so satisfying.

IInfact, maybe I should start adding an extra capitol letter to the beginnings of sentences, too. SSeems like it'd be a fun transition from the double-space.

[Trab]

EleCivil, I will dub you a space cadet.

[Tanuki Racoon]

an extra capitol letter

I suggest a capital letter. A capitol letter would be "DC" which is actually TWO letters.

[EleCivil]

I suggest a capital letter. A capitol letter would be "DC" which is actually TWO letters.

It seems you've caught me committing a Capital offense. Ye have run afoul of me again, writebythyself! I'd challenge you to a bout of internet fisticuffs, but...I can't be bothered.

[Tragic Rabbit]

That's right - I'm a double-spacer. And nothing short of a broken right thumb is going to stop me! It's just so satisfying.

I feel the same way. Like smoking, it's a habit I enjoy, that exhilarating thumbs-down double-hit to the space bar learned so long ago, and I'm not giving it up. Nope. Not even for my beloved Wibster.

Kisses...

TR, who has been sort of MIA lately

PS 'writebythyself' had me laughing pretty hard for a second there...