Barfight question: Double or single space between sentences?

September 18, 2018, 12:19 PM

Balzé Halzé

If y'all notice, everyone's post here has only a single space between sentences. No one has ever seemed to notice or care before. Those of you double spacing here are wasting your times because it ends up single spaced anyway.

September 18, 2018, 12:33 PM

slosig

quote:
Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
If y'all notice, everyone's post here has only a single space between sentences. No one has ever seemed to notice or care before. Those of you double spacing here are wasting your times because it ends up single spaced anyway.

Yeah, I noticed that a long time ago. Tried to “fix” it at first, then realized what was going on and gave up. Still double space when I type it out. One benefit is that when you double space on a crapple device, it automatically inserts the period and capitalizes the next letter.

Okay, I get that I am dating myself that I learned on a typewriter. I understand that they are teaching single space in school these days. I don’t really care, I do it my way and others can do it theirs. Much like the Oxford comma (I’m in the “Yes, absolutely.” camp.), it is a preference item.

There really is no wrong answer, it is a matter of style.

Oh, and if the AP in “AP Stylebook” stands for Associated Press, I’d rather that those wonderful folks would concentrate more on discovering and printing the truth and less on what style they will use to push their GDC agenda...

September 18, 2018, 12:35 PM

gpbst3

I would like to hear what Bendable has to say on this subject!

September 18, 2018, 12:37 PM

Kevbo

Me and all the other two space guys are going to be laughing our asses off after the global EMP hits and we survive because we are able to effectively use and communicate on typewriters

quote:
Originally posted by Aeteocles:
One.

Double spaces exist because of monospaced typewriter fonts. Modern fonts on computers have the appropriate amount of space built into the font.

One is the correct answer, not a matter of opinion.

September 18, 2018, 12:41 PM

Pipe Smoker

quote:
Originally posted by HayesGreener:
<snip> and the toilet paper hangs over the front. Unless you were raised in the forest by wolves...

Or unless you have a cat that likes to paw at the toilet paper roll.

September 18, 2018, 12:50 PM

blueye

When I was taught to print in the early 60's in grade school, we were told to use our index finger for spacing between sentences. So use your finger and should be good to go.

September 18, 2018, 12:53 PM

Skull Leader

That's true Balze, but it retains the double space if you hit the edit button. So I'm content.

September 18, 2018, 01:26 PM

sns3guppy

quote:
Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
I have ALWAYS typed two spaces between sentences in a paragraph. Other folks insist that this is not the way to do it, and only use single spaces between sentences.

What say you?

Two is traditional. A more modern convention is the single space. I can't type without hitting the space bar twice after a period, but many today opt for the single space. I don't like it.

You're technically not wrong with a single or a double space; both are acceptable by modern standards.

Much like hanging a roll of toilet paper, however, you can can put the paper so it pulls from the inside or the outside, and many will say it's acceptable either way. So it is, though we all know the only right way is from the outside.

Single space is acceptable.

Go double.

September 18, 2018, 01:44 PM

sigmonkey

This is whywe need a Space Force .

September 18, 2018, 02:00 PM

Pipe Smoker

quote:
Originally posted by sigmonkey:
This is whywe need a Space Force .

September 18, 2018, 03:00 PM

46and2

Two spaces after a period, *and* the Oxford comma.

Fight me bro!

September 18, 2018, 03:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
quote:
Originally posted by arfmel:
All I ask is that people learn the difference between then and than.

I'd be much happier if they figured out the difference between lose and loose. That one seems to have become an epidemic nowadays.

I’d be happy if people learned how to capitalize words. Lately, it seems like too many people forgot proper capitalization. Even on the SF I see postings with nouns randomly capitalized for no reason. I swear I once read a posting in which every noun was capitalized.

September 18, 2018, 03:29 PM

rusbro

Additionally,,,,One. Period. After. Every. Word. For. Emphasis.

September 18, 2018, 03:30 PM

jimmy123x

quote:
Originally posted by MNSIG:
I was always taught that two spaces after a period or exclamation is correct, but was just informed yesterday that the new style being taught is a single space.

I doubt I'll change.

This is true, they have been teaching single spaced after a period for a few years now. I still prefer double spaced and still double space after a period.

September 18, 2018, 04:15 PM

flashguy

quote:
Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
If y'all notice, everyone's post here has only a single space between sentences. No one has ever seemed to notice or care before. Those of you double spacing here are wasting your times because it ends up single spaced anyway.

I have noticed, and I don't like it. I can't change it, because the forum does it automatically. I still type 2 spaces after sentences--what the forum does with it is moot.

Now, if we could just get the issue of the difference between a hyphen ("-") and a dash ("--") we'd be all set. (And don't give me any guff about proportional fonts handling it for one--there is no way to faithfully determine when a hyphen or a dash is intended.) It really frosts me that some word processors automatically reduce my 2 hyphens (to make a dash) to only one--it destroys the punctuation I am attempting to create.

flashguy

September 18, 2018, 04:17 PM

jhe888

quote:
Originally posted by PD:
I swear I once read a posting in which every noun was capitalized.

He was German.

September 18, 2018, 04:22 PM

flashguy

quote:
Originally posted by Kevbo:
Me and all the other two space guys are going to be laughing our asses off after the global EMP hits and we survive because we are able to effectively use and communicate on typewriters

Hah! Newbie typists couldn't possibly type on a real typewriter--their fingers aren't strong enough. Modern keyboard keys don't even move when touched, much less require any strength to move them.

flashguy

September 18, 2018, 05:25 PM

Il Cattivo

quote:
Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
quote:
Originally posted by HayesGreener:
<snip> and the toilet paper hangs over the front. Unless you were raised in the forest by wolves...

Or unless you have a cat that likes to paw at the toilet paper roll.

I tried that. Turns out my cat is left-pawed.

September 18, 2018, 05:54 PM

flesheatingvirus

quote:
Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
If y'all notice, everyone's post here has only a single space between sentences. No one has ever seemed to notice or care before. Those of you double spacing here are wasting your times because it ends up single spaced anyway.

I totally noticed that this site does that automatically.

quote:
Originally posted by Ryanp225:

Caring enough to post something in here that is useless, obviously.

________________________________________

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