2008-09-12
1 space or 2?
5 commentsConversation at work this week:
Me: Somebody told me that I needed to take out the extra space after the colon but I always thought there were supposed to be two spaces.
Young male coworker: Yeah, just 1 after colons and periods.
Me: Periods too? I learned it as two.
Young male coworker: That's old school like when typewriters were used. It's just 1 now.
Me (to young female coworker): So do you think it's just 1 space or 2?
Young female coworker: Just 1. Two spaces is so old school.
Ok, so I try to stay up on things and I try to be particular about grammar and spelling but when did this happen? I researched it and it would appear my young coworkers are absolutely right.
So this is just a warning to my fellow old people - JUST 1 SPACE.
9:40 PM
hmmm... i heard about this in publishing... it makes the line justification do all funky things, but i didn't know everyone on the street was walking around speaking with one space behind periods and colons! geez. we're so old grammar is changing!
9:47 PM
what I learned in journalism school so many years ago, AP style (associated press) said one space after periods but two spaces after colons
11:59 PM
OK, this is going to be impossible to change. See? I just did 2. Call me old school.
12:45 PM
It's only ever two when it's a monospace font. Everything else should have the spacing built into the kerning, and extra spaces will confuse it.
I learned monospace typing too, and had to retrain myself when I went to work for a printshop. The typesetting machine would ding at me every time I had an extra space, and my boss would snicker at me.
5:33 PM
Going to one space is definitely another sign of the decline of morals and standards and western civilization. Just remember, the sniggerers spend all day typing (with their thumbs) things like LOL and IMHO. This is a perfect time to follow Buckley's adage to stand astride history yelling, "Stop!"