Day 208: I Heart Most Things Retro
NOTE: This post was brought to you by using two spaces after each period.
About a week and a half ago, I rushed over to Smonk You: A Story about Being a Dad, to check out which lovely lady he had guest blogging for him. To my delight, it was Morgan, from the818.
Morgan and I have loads of things in common. We both went to NYU. We are both Jewish. We both married gentiles. We both have adorable little girls. We both live on the left coast. And after reading her guest post, I can add another commonality between us. We both heart double spaces after periods.
I found this out in Kenny’s introduction to Morgan when she said that like his wife, she too is a fan of the double space.
Then a comment war and a tweeting war ensued over double spacing after a period.
I so wanted to post screen shots of the comments here, but for some reason WP makes them all fuzzy and I have no time to figure it out, but just go check it out…the comment war…by clicking here.
Pretty much what it boils down to is Kenny thinks he’s right and Morgan, myself, his wife and several others are wrong. I declared war. #SpacingWar that is.
I of course did my research, and know that even the MLA format book, the one I have my students use, recognizes that with the advancement in word processing and such, that there is no need for the double space, but that they feel it’s fine still double space unless an editor or an instructor tells you otherwise.
What I also found is that because of fonts being adjusted so that each letter takes up the same amount of space, double spacing after the end of a sentence is now obsolete b/c we don’t we don’t all use typewriters.
So yeah, Kenny has me there. This is the new trend. But I still feel I’m right…or rather I still believe my way is best. So what does any good writer do who’s trying to persuade people over to her side do? She gathers some evidence. And my evidence is the thoughts of three lovely ladies who believe I’m right and Kenny is wrong.
Prior to law school I frequently used only one space following a period. This was not due to my vast knowledge of proper space usage or current computer programming trends, rather, it was because I put one space everywhere else so I figured one space after a period was sufficient. When I got to law school I was scolded by my professors, writing partners and employers regarding my missing space (it seriously felt like the missing link they way they all talked about it).
Then, after writing, reading, editing legal briefs and memos, I began to understand why. Despite the claim that computer software accounts for a more distinct space following a period, it simply is not as distinct as it should be. In the legal world especially, with all of the citation sentences, legalese and highly important pauses, the end of a sentence and the beginning of another MUST be noticeable enough to not confuse the reader. Trust me, after reading and editing as many legally related papers as I have, you come to appreciate those who use two spaces following a sentences if for nothing more than to give your eyes a break.
So, I am now a religious user of the double space and, like my mentors, scold those who simply refuse to use it. Based on my experience, the double space is the right, and only, way to correctly write.
When I am writing, it’s just natural to add two spaces between each sentence. This is the way my mother typed, and her mother typed. It really comes down to paying respect to the generations that came before me. So, I guess you could say that it just runs in my family. Who am I to break such an honored tradition of careful spacers? Unless of course, I am trying to keep my thoughts to 140 characters. Then, #allbetsareoff.
And of course, I had to go to the source…
Kenny likes to act all “knowledgeable” about stuff, but I’m pretty sure he has no idea what he’s talking about. Even his own wife thinks he’s wrong. (Did he tell you that? He did? Oh. Still. I think that’s worth noting.) The way I see it, people need those two spaces after one of my run-on sentences to catch their breath. If I only left one space, I think my readers heads might start popping clean off their bodies and that would be horrible. And not just because my blog traffic would go down considerably.
How’s that? Want something more serious? “As a writer who is often required to fill a certain amount of space on the page, I personally treasure the double space after the period. Without it I’d have to work just that much harder.”
Don’t they all have great points? I agree with all of them. I couldn’t have said it better.
My personal biggest reason is that when I learned to type, in 1995, double spacing was the rule. And can you believe that I learned this while typing on a computer? Go figure.
Really, I can’t stop my fingers. I mean I type over 70wpm (I just did a recheck and I’m still there), so you can imagine how fast my fingers go with my subconscious making them move. And that subconscious insists on two spaces after a period. I can’t help it.
And to be honest, I notice very easily when students type papers for me and they don’t double space after periods. I don’t mention it. I’d just be grateful if they all knew when to use “it’s” vs. “its” as well as the fact that “a lot” is supposed to be two words.
Oh and as the MLA states, you can double space after periods unless an editor or instructor says not to. Well do you know who my editor is? It’s me! If one day I manage to write that book I have on my bucket list, and my editor says one space, then I will oblige. (waving hi to my Aunt, the editor in the family. I am awaiting your emailed thoughts on this issue where you try to tell me I’m wrong too. Love you.)
So have I been able to convince you with my gathering of evidence? I’m thinking, though, that just like your preference of if the toilet paper should roll under or over (UNDER of course) I won’t be able to persuade you away from the one space bandwagon. But I had to give my two cents, where I heart most things retro, where double spacing after periods has become retro.
Man I feel old now.
Post Script: As most of you are reading and giving your two cents, I’m sitting in the dentists chair getting some cavities filled sans the gas b/c my dentist is pregnant. Oh the irony. I wait to start to get my teeth fixed b/c of my pregnancy, and now my anxious ridden mind has to be conscious for it all.
Post Post Script: Kenny has his points. I have mine. Can we both be right? I’m calling a truce. #SpacingWar is off.
26 Comments to “Day 208: I Heart Most Things Retro”
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But spacing war was fun…and now that you call it retro I see the charm in your extraneous space.
Somehow the comments are rigged to keep mefrom commenting.
Spacing war was fun…and now that you call it retro I see the charm in the extra space.
When this was set up, the settings have it so if it’s your first time commenting, I have to approve. Of course I approve of you saying my thoughts have charm.
Two spaces! Two spaces! I already got my two cents above
Thanks, Metta!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by kenny, metta1313. metta1313 said: Day 208: I Heart Most Things Retro http://bit.ly/bxetyx [...]
Two Spaces ALL THE WAY.
None of this new-fangled crap!
Twitter: jessesco
28 July 2010 at 7:31 am #
Lol. I love this. TWO SPACES!!!
Let’s all hug it out and be friends!
That I can do!
I love the concept of having my fingers work less so I support the single space in theory. But if I try and tell my thumb that it wouldn’t understand.
My thumb is the same way. I just hearts the double space too.
Really? Fingers over brain? Because single space leaves more room to fill on the page, remember? Also, it looks ugly.
Well of course the brain thing too. I so notice it when people use one space. It just looks all clumped together and not at all aesthetically pleasing. And now you’ve got me thinking…if I tell my students two spaces after periods takes up room, maybe they won’t give me crap when I tell them how long their papers need to be.
Twitter: MomNom
28 July 2010 at 7:42 am #
Um, I don’t know what I do. But I think it’s just one space. Uh-oh.
Yep. Your comment is all about spacing once after a period. But I still heart you.
I was taught to use two spaces as well. I do it automatically when I write. Now, I am creating a (very text heavy) website for a client, and after showing them the draft, they want me to go back and CHANGE everything to one space. (See me tearing my hair out now).
Also, toilet paper should always be OVER!
Obviously you know how I feel about this.
Wow!! We’re like sooo on the same page here! Commonalities? I’m Jewish (lived in Israel), had an ex-girlfriend that went to NYU, now live on the left coast, my wife is a gentile, and I have an adorable little girl (no really you should see her!).
As for your post, I had no idea this was even a question. First, let me start off by saying that even though I do write a blog I did not like English in school. I didn’t even read my first book until I got out of High School. One thing I thought for certain though was the double space. In fact, I don’t even think I could force myself not to double space. I think if people want to save space they should start writing in hebrew. The vowels are underneath the consonants and they would save tons of space. Of course, you’d have to deal with the whole right to left issue but it’d be worth a shot. Great post!!
I am also Jewish, have been to the NYU campus and did not marry a Jewish man.
Sweet. We have things in common besides our disagreement on spacing after periods. I guess you are alright in my book.
I totally and completely agree with you Metta!! We learned the two space rule and that’s why we still use it. I even put two spaces after periods in text messaging. I know, some people have made good points about fonts and what not, but seriously, doesn’t it just look better with two spaces between sentences? Keep it up!
Twitter: sweetharper
28 July 2010 at 11:42 am #
Thanks for taking this one on Metta! Although, I can’t believe you called a truce already…you definitely let Kenny off too easy.
As a writer and editor, the ONE SPACE rule has been burned into my skull, forcing me to erase the voice of my 10th grade English teacher who preached two. Stylistically, I believe everyone should do what makes them happy. If that means three spaces, go for it! But as an editor, I advise you always submit with one. Two is the equiv of using three brads on a script. It’s not kosher.
{Oh the horror of using three brads!!! Don’t do it!!!}
I too am a fan of the two spaces after a period. It’s just the way it should be, and no one will convince me otherwise.
I am sorry, I have been absent, but I have subscribed to your new site twice and yet it’s still not showing up in my reader. Oy! I don’t know what is going on!
And this is why we get along so well! And I’m not sure about the whole reader thing. Do you delete the old reader subscription before trying it again? That is what I had to do with another blog when she moved…it took me 3 tries. Email me if you need to.