Do you add two spaces after a period?

No that's awful copy editing.

I always thought that was the way to go. At least, that's what I was always taught...

Yes. Only filthy, classless, barbaric animals don't double space after a period.

@B0nd07 said:

@Insectecutor:

"Although the usualconvention for published works remains one space after each period, and indeed the decision regarding whether to include one space or two rests, in the end, with the publication designer, APA thinks the added space makes sense for draft manuscripts in light of those manuscript readers who might benefit from a brief but refreshing pause."

This does not say that two spaces is wrong, simply that one space is the norm when it comes to published works.

Also, thank you for insulting my intelligence earlier by suggesting I didn't read what I posted. I did read them. When this topic first popped up and again today.

I'm sorry for insulting your intelligence but you were cherry-picking your sources to reinforce an opinion that goes against what is, as you point out, the norm.

Of course it is a matter of choice. You can choose to use double spaces, just as you can choose to wear a top-hat and tails to the grocery store. The question is how your style is perceived by others. Double-spacing looks outdated and prudish, and far from making it easier to read it stands out as abnormal and clunky when most people are used to single spaces.

Few people who notice this kind of thing are going to thank you for it, but then again most people probably don't care so do what you want.

One space. Why waste time? We aren't using typewriters anymore.

@Insectecutor said:

@B0nd07 said:

@Insectecutor:

"Although the usualconvention for published works remains one space after each period, and indeed the decision regarding whether to include one space or two rests, in the end, with the publication designer, APA thinks the added space makes sense for draft manuscripts in light of those manuscript readers who might benefit from a brief but refreshing pause."

This does not say that two spaces is wrong, simply that one space is the norm when it comes to published works.

Also, thank you for insulting my intelligence earlier by suggesting I didn't read what I posted. I did read them. When this topic first popped up and again today.

I'm sorry for insulting your intelligence but you were cherry-picking your sources to reinforce an opinion that goes against what is, as you point out, the norm.

Of course it is a matter of choice. You can choose to use double spaces, just as you can choose to wear a top-hat and tails to the grocery store. The question is how your style is perceived by others. Double-spacing looks outdated and prudish, and far from making it easier to read it stands out as abnormal and clunky when most people are used to single spaces.

Few people who notice this kind of thing are going to thank you for it, but then again most people probably don't care so do what you want.

And you did the same.

Yes, it is a choice, but one is not superior to the other in normal, everyday life.  You can make the outdated argument when it comes to web publishing, sure.  And that's fine, but it's hardly prudish (or clunky).  What can be prudish, however, are people's response to it; as evidenced by this thread and the Slate article.

The point @Hailinel and I are trying to make is that using two spaces is not inherently wrong.  The only time it is wrong is if your editor/publisher/what-have-you tells you it is for published work.  For example, the Giant Bomb wiki.  I normally type with two spaces, however, I use one in the wiki because that's what was decided on.  Shortly after that, parchment 2 showed up, and now it doesn't matter.

Honestly, the only time I notice sentence spacing is when someone uses three or more.  And that, I'm sure we can all agree on, is wrong.

{off-topic rant}

OK, skipped from page one to eight of this thread and don't care what any of you think.

Just want to say that monospaced type is the only way to go when working with a text editor all day long. Single space after sentence termination is fine in print, web publication and personal communications. However, in text where every character is potentially significant using a monospaced typefont and double spacing after sentence termination is common courtesy.

I most certainly do not. Punctuation dictates diction.

However, if one chooses to proceed one's sentences with two spaces, I have no compunctions on the matter.

EDIT: I just read a few of the other responses in this thread.

Good Lord, some people cling too dearly to their ideal method. The English language evolves but our ability to discuss it politely should not degrade in kind.

@dennisthemennis said:

I was taught this as well, but I've stopped in the last year or so after my Graphic Design prof told me you shouldn't do it (especially with typesetting, you need all the space you can get).

I also did the same thing until graphic design set me straight at school. It was specifically taught in your first typography class along with things like orphans, widows, rivers, and having a nice rag.

No, I'm sane.

Graphic Designer here!

No. You don't do that. Stop it.

Unless it's a class paper. Then, yes, you do it... maybe even 3 spaces!

It's a relic from the days of typewriters (specifically fixed-width fonts, where every character takes up the same width). Without putting two spaces after a period, the sentences become harder to read. It was a readability thing. In modern times nobody uses fixed-width fonts anymore so two spaces after a period became unnecessary. I'm honestly surprised nobody has ever told you otherwise; it's terribly annoying to try to read something written by someone who does that. I've edited quite a few pages on the site specifically just removing all of the second spaces after periods.

No, I was never taught to do that and never thought to do it.

Zero spaces.Fuck you.

No. I never do. Ever.

EDIT: Wow, I typed that with two spaces, and the parchment 'corrected' it down to one space. Odd.

No dude, get outta here with that stuff.

I too thought this was a common practice, cant imagine typing without adding two spaces after a period. SEE

thanks school

@Humanity: It's a stupid leftover from the typewriter error and completely not necessary on modern computers, printers and improved fonts. Your basically copying a tradition that has no place now, and like all out of date traditions, you can probably turn it into a religion in another 50 years.

I've used double spaces my entire life. Computer classes and English classes alike said two spaces after a period, one after a comma. I'm definitely not from the typewriter era.

The AP stylebook says one space, so that's what I have to do. Ultimately, the different is negligible.

But for the record, you guys are fucking dicks.

What I do remember being taught was after every 5 sentences you had to indent a new paragraph with a index finger length at the beginning.... Needless to say that didn't hold up but I ain't no english major so what do I know.

Double space. For life. Deal with it.

But like others, I was taught this back in school as the "proper" way. And it's stuck with me ever since.

No, that would be crazy.

No. I only do it if it's required like in the college assignments I've been doing.

Used to double space when I wrote essays and the like for high school and college. Stopped doing it like 3 or 4 years ago and haven't looked back. Not sure if it was taught to me long ago or if I just randomly did it.

no, it's crazy. some teachers teach it and other don't. i had one class where the professor was like put two spaces after a period. i started doing that and then another english class teacher was like don't put two spaces after a period. it's confusing to do that.

I used to, just like you. I stopped years ago, when someone on an online forum got really mad at me for doing it all the time. I guess it doesn't serve any real purpose.

Nope, and before now I'd never really heard of that. At least in a long form essay, etc.

Then again, I never heard of a lot of things before Internet and I started our torrid affair. So take that into consideration.

1 space, 2 space people are the 1%

Fucking typewriters, thanks a lot for this nonsense and the QWERTY.

@Zaccheus said:

Fucking typewriters, thanks a lot for this nonsense and the QWERTY.

At least they gave us the good stuff like resident evil saving!

I was taught that way as a kid in school, however it seems everyone has moved away from that. I tried to stand strong and push on with my "two space policy" but occasionally succumb to the pressure of 1 space, haha.

I only hit twice on the spacebar on my phone cause that adds a period AND puts a space between it and the next word.

A computer though? Never. Mario taught me well.

I would be interstellar to know if whether or not you double space after a period has anything to do with where you live or where you went to school. I was taught to double space, but sometimes I do it and sometimes I don't. I went to kindergarten in central California near Fresno.

Lol typing on the iPad I must have spelled interested wrong, and it changed to interstellar. Bitchin' autocorrect

Strange. I was not aware of there being controversy about this. I always do two spaces after a period. I get irritated when text editors automatically remove the second space. Such as this one. All of these sentences were typed with two spaces post period. Parchment removes my spaces.

I posted a thread about this way back in the early days of Giant Bomb, found it with a quick Google search. You'll have to forgive my text message style smiley face bullshit though, three and a half years is going back a bit, yeesh.

Anyway, Jeff posted in that thread if you want to check that out. Double-spacing is what was used with monospaced fonts, which typewriters and early computers used. When you post on Giant Bomb now it takes extra spaces out automatically anyway.

@Daniel_Newton: Thanks it was cool to see what Jeff does, even though that was 3 years ago. I honestly don't know which fonts are monospace and which aren't, and at this point it would take me too long to actually stop doing two spaces. Since both ways are accepted such as writing color as opposed to colour then I will just continue repping the old school standard.

Common literacy among pefectionists with too much time on their hands.

Typing contest: I'm already a space ahead of you after the first sentence.

Strange. I was not aware of there being controversy about this. I always do two spaces after a period. I get irritated when text editors automatically remove the second space. Such as this one. All of these sentences were typed with two spaces post period. Parchment removes my spaces.

I only do this in papers since sometimes it's juuust enough to make a full 4 page paper. The replace function has never been more useful.

No. I'm not a weirdo.

I used to, then I learned it was wrong, so I stopped.

@CL60 said:

@HerbieBug

Strange. I was not aware of there being controversy about this. I always do two spaces after a period. I get irritated when text editors automatically remove the second space. Such as this one. All of these sentences were typed with two spaces post period. Parchment removes my spaces.

It changes it because you're doing it incorrectly.

FUCK THE SINGLE SPACE OPPRESSORS!! D:<

My angry face will unfortunately be forced to be closer to my exclamation points.

It's how I was taught to type. I guess that makes me an old.

Who needs THAT much separation between a full-stop and the next word? Seems like a waste. Seriously.