Do you double space?

[Jack]

I noticed that one of our members always uses two spaces at the end of her sentences.

For example:

The dog is red. The cat is blue. The mouse is orange. (two spaces)

The dog is red. The cat is blue. The mouse is orange. (one space)

Do you put two spaces at the end of a sentence?

Edit: apparently it's not showing up for me, but it does in quote? How odd...

[Flyingcursor]

Yes. In fact sometimes I get carried away and put three of four.

[avanutria]

I use two spaces, because when I started to learn to type it was on my mom's typewriter and she told me that the convention was to put two spaces. So it's automatic for me.

BTW When you wrote "Do you double space?" I thought you were going to talk about writing essays! In which case my answer would have been "I use 1.5 spacing unless otherwise specified by the instructor."

[djm]

The convention was two spaces at the end of a sentence for hand-typed documents, but commercially printed documents only ever used one space at the end of a sentence. With the move to computerized publishing and document creation, the use of two spaces became redundant since, as you noted, the software automatically defaults to one space, so typing two is wasted effort.

djm

[Wanderer]

In the typewriter days, the convention was 2 spaces. So, that's the way I learned.

In modern, word-processed and justified type, the convention is one space, because the computer will handle the justification for you. For example, web browsers ignore extra white space, so one space or a hundred show up the same. One carriage return or a hundred do too, but phpBB softare captures them and turns them into <BR> tags, so that you can paragraph-format when typing your post without having to use <BR> or <P> tags. I am slowly learning to use only one space, but in looking back even throughout just this post, I see that I am inconsistent.

[hyldemoer]

It might be because I have cataracts in both eyes and need the spacing to read what I've printed on my lap top.

When people don't space out what they post and say a lot of things, I have to play accomodation games to read what they said.

[missy]

I do - same reason as already stated. When I learned how to type back in the dark ages (I remember when we were SO thrilled we were getting to switch over to Selectrics!!!!) it was 2 spaces at the end of a sentence, so I've continued to this day.
Luckily I DID learn on a Selectric, so using the "enter" key (although I still call it a "return" key) is common place for me vs. trying to slap the heck out of the monitor to carriage return!!!

[The Weekenders]

Please don't if you are using a computer. I spend a good part of my day deleting them from moron writers who include them in the copy. The software knows to make a nice space after punctuation.

[avanutria]

Weeks - are you using Word? You can probably do a Replace to change double spaces into single ones...

[dfernandez77]

Please don't if you are using a computer. I spend a good part of my day deleting them from moron writers who include them in the copy. The software knows to make a nice space after punctuation.

Double spaces after periods should only be used if the end product will be published in a fixed width typeface (all letters use the same amount of space horizontally) like Courier. It's easier to read fixed width text when their are double spaces following periods.

All variable width typefaces on word processing programs (and in web browsers) are aware that a period has been placed. The program will use a space of appropriate width, for ease of reading, following the period.

So, since hardly anyone uses fixed width typefaces any more, the normal convention would be to just use one space.

If you use two spaces in text for a web browser the browser will usually ignore any spaces more than one. So it's a waste of effort anyway.

BTW: font = typeface in the common vernacular used on computers. Some of us grumpy people who were exposed to printing and publishing the old fashioned way still use proper terms. *sigh*

[Innocent Bystander]

Those of us who still do Unix printing the hard way need to use fixed width typefaces or the columns don't line up. You might think they do, but they don't.

And I learned my touch-typing from an American Computer Program, which was the first place I EVER saw TWO spaces at the end of a sentence. In school we were taught ONE space at the end of a sentence.

I know what you mean, Daniel. I 've designed one or two typefaces in my time. I tell you, you say ETAOIN SHRDLU to some of these youngsters, and they look at you...


(But at least we win at Hangman.)

[Innocent Bystander]

And on the planet I come from, the expression "Double Space" in respect to typing tends to refer to Manuscript requirements where there is a line of spaces between each line of typed matter, so you have room to scribble your corrections.

Sorry people - I'm crabby mean & 'orrible tonight.

[FJohnSharp]

My writing partner double spaces between sentences and it drives me nuts. He also uses the curly quotes. I am thinking of breaking his fingers.

[Jack]

I am thinking of breaking his fingers.

Please don't.

That would hurt.

[Walden]

The reason I double space is that I learned it in high school typing class. I did not take any computer class in high school.