WWTBAM Bored

As if we don't have enough to argue about around here, how about this? One space after a period or two? A recent study (criticized for its use of monospace fonts like Courier) claims that two spaces makes for a more readable document.

earendel wrote:As if we don't have enough to argue about around here, how about this? One space after a period or two? A recent study (criticized for its use of monospace fonts like Courier) claims that two spaces makes for a more readable document.

The machine isn't accepting my vote. Maybe if I voted for the Republican choice instead . . . .

More seriously (a little), isn't the issue moot? I habitually use two spaces here on the Bored, and the software automatically converts my formatting choice to one space. I demand my right to self-determination! --Bob

The "rule" is one space if using a proportional font and two if using a fixed font.

earendel wrote:As if we don't have enough to argue about around here, how about this? One space after a period or two? A recent study (criticized for its use of monospace fonts like Courier) claims that two spaces makes for a more readable document.

Not only did it use a fixed font, if you read deeply into the study, it says that the only people who said that two spaces were significantly more readable were the people in the study who were two-space users to begin with. The rest of the people (all 40-something out of 60-something total -- great sample size!) did not see any significant difference.

Another clear case of science-illiterate journalists writing a false story to get a cute headline out of it.

All I can add is the fact that Mrs. Jiles, my 10th grade typing teacher would not be taking it well if I didn't have TWO spaces after a period. But then (and I swear to God that this is totally true): Mrs. Jiles had a very large Bowie knife that she would hold while walking up and down the rows of typists all the while slapping the palm of one hand with the flat side of the blade. (Really, I kid you not).

This was back in the day where we did have one entire row of those fancy-dancy IBM Selectric type typewriters. The rest being Underwood manual units. Nowadays, both typewriters of any kind AND teachers with large knives in class are non-existent.

Dose were da days!

But to this day, I am a two space kind of guy. Just can't get over the two space habit. (glancing back over my shoulder looking for Mrs. J and her knife)


On edit, I see that it is true that the format here automatically takes two spaces at the end of a sentence and makes it just one space. So I guess that if I mysteriously stop posting, and maybe if you see a news report of an old guy in Tennessee found hacked to death in front of his computer screen it may turn out that Mrs. Jiles is still alive and also on-line.

jaybee wrote:On edit, I see that it is true that the format here automatically takes two spaces at the end of a sentence and makes it just one space.

The text is displayed as if it were one, but both spaces are still there. Quote such a post (like this one) and you will still see both spaces in the actual text.

Estonut wrote:

jaybee wrote:On edit, I see that it is true that the format here automatically takes two spaces at the end of a sentence and makes it just one space.

The text is displayed as if it were one, but both spaces are still there. Quote such a post (like this one) and you will still see both spaces in the actual text.

If a space falls in the forest but there's no one to see it, is it still there? --Bob