1 or 2 spaces after a full stop?

Sirrel Squirrel · 16 Apr 2006 at 16:09

Mad old tory said:
Hmm, those of you saying you've only just heard of the two stops seems to give credence to double spacing being used for typewriting, cos my mum's an old bat (over 60), has been typing since she started working practically and she always uses double spacing...

I don't get why some people have never heard of the 2 space rule either, it can't be an age thing as I'm a young un' having just turned 20 and I've always used the 2 space rule.

Gilly · 16 Apr 2006 at 16:10

Sirrel Squirrel said:
I don't get why some people have never heard of the 2 space rule either, it can't be an age thing as I'm a young un' having just turned 20 and I've always used the 2 space rule.

I've heard of it, but as it is unnecessary and doesn't look right I've never used it.

There's no need these days.

Nix · 16 Apr 2006 at 16:13

Bagsy the noob BTW

SpicyDuck · 16 Apr 2006 at 16:15

I've heard of it, but never used it in my own typing.

If I were to write a formal document though, I might use it, but it's doubtful.

Phil.

simisker · 16 Apr 2006 at 16:55

The eminent Robert Bringhurst, in his authoritative typography book The Elements Of Typographic Style, dedicates a clause to this obviously thorny issue:

2.1.4 Use a single word space between sentences.

In the nineteenth century, which was a dark and inflationary age in typography and type design, many compositors were encouraged to stuff extra space between sentences. Generations of twentieth-century typists were then taught to do the same, by hitting the spacebar twice after each period. Your typing as well as your typesetting will benefit from unlearning this quaint Victorian habit. As a general rule, no more than a single space is required after a period, a colon or any other mark of punctuation. Larger spaces (e.g., en spaces) are themselves punctuation.

doutherscpc · 16 Apr 2006 at 16:59

RandomTom said:
your sig is too big dude - 400x75 20kb as per faq. just to let you know.

QUOTE]

Thanks mate. I was going to get round to editing it.... now sorted

webbyman · 16 Apr 2006 at 17:03

first time i've ever heard it might be two. I think you can work out how many i do now

benjo plz. · 16 Apr 2006 at 17:45

doutherscpc said:
now sorted

Too Big

Bennah · 16 Apr 2006 at 17:51

2 spaces after a full stop here. Makes the reading a lot better imo.

Messiah Khan · 16 Apr 2006 at 20:24

2 spaces, one sandwhich!

Gilly · 16 Apr 2006 at 20:25

messiah khan said:
2 spaces, one sandwhich!

Couldn't have been more wrong. Even threw a smelling ****take in

Messiah Khan · 16 Apr 2006 at 20:34

So im guessing you belonged in the 2 sandwhiches camp.. well you lot were proved wrong by the Sandwhich society of Britain, so we were officially correct on that one. And im certain if we were to contact the punctuation society of Britain, two spaces would also be ruled proper and correct

RandomTom · 16 Apr 2006 at 20:36

Phnom_Penh said:
Too Big

It still is, just this time in size, 20kb max.

ChroniC · 16 Apr 2006 at 20:49

I was taugh on my A level IT, word processing was 1 space. And ive never seen a letter sent to me by a company that has 2.

Also its

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Supper (if you have it)

G-MAN2004 · 16 Apr 2006 at 21:42

Sirrel Squirrel said:
Someone who knows what they're talking about, all you 1 space people are wrong

You haven't even put a fullstop!

barnettgs · 16 Apr 2006 at 21:56

It's one space to separate word from word. It's two spaces to separate sentence from sentence. For easier to read.

And Microsoft Word says 2 spaces too. Microsoft Word > people.

_PD_ · 16 Apr 2006 at 22:00

No!!! It's one... why would anyone ever ever do two?
Pffft... some people...

I've never thought about it before, actually. But I may try it now, to see if anyone notices me do it in e-mails etc.

benjo plz. · 16 Apr 2006 at 22:00

barnettgs said:
And Microsoft Word says 2 spaces too.

No it doesn't.

barnettgs · 16 Apr 2006 at 22:17

Phnom_Penh said:
No it doesn't.

Yes it does if you enabled the option and select '2'. :cool:

Old Turkey · 16 Apr 2006 at 22:35

I know, why don't we clear up the widespread problem of not being able to spell words correctly, such as "ridiculous" and "definitely", to name a few, before we move onto the finer details of grammar, hmm? Tut tut, always trying to run before we can walk.