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Subject:1 Space vs. 2 Spaces...Sasquatch...Whaaaaaa??? From:"Johnson, Dick D" <Dick -dot- Johnson2db8ef -at- PSS -dot- BOEING -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 28 Jul 1999 06:42:55 -0700
*Stepping onto my 'thread-killing' soap box...smiling as my humor demon in me starts to poke out of my belly
Some threads need to die or to be put to death...unceremoniously. This is one of them. Here's an encapsulated summary of what has been established so far regarding the spaces between sentences. Please read on...there is a definitive way to determine this...at the end. Also, there are absolutely no shots (flames) at anyone out there.
* The debate over spaces following periods remains alive and well and will probably continue into the 22nd century.
* There is no rule governing the spaces following periods.
* Are we talking proportional fonts, proportional spacing, or one space vs. two spaces following periods?
* Why does technology have to rescue us from that extra keystroke?
* There are an infinite number of opinions regarding 'wannabe' rules for spaces following periods. (Perhaps directly proportional to the number of writers and editors out there in cyberspace. Some, at least one, even willing to research and publish the history of spaces following periods. That was terrific, too! I loved it!)
* There is no limit (seemingly) to the number of well-meaning people willing to express their opinions on spaces following periods (SFP), and back them up with pseudo-facts, some humorous, some silly, and some even appearing logical.
* There appears to be no limit to the amount of time many writers/editors have on their hands to engage in this ever-present and life changing grammar babble.
* All word processors that I'm familiar with have a 'replace' function that recognizes periods and spaces, thus making it super easy to change should the customer want two spaces instead of one, despite the 'defend to the death' opinion of the writer. Many DTPs also have this feature.
* A quick calculation on my part revealed that the time loss with the second keystroke to place a second space following a period would save me enough time at the end of a year for a really good, and well deserved, belch.
* All writers/editors work for customers. (See where this is going now?)
* All customers like to make decisions regarding the work done by the writers/editors they hire. Some even have company standards regarding same.
* One space or two following a period is an easy behavior to change...just minutes, once the writer decides to accept the dictate of the customer or the customer's standard. Certainly far less time than it took me to write this, or any other writer to write/post something to the list on this matter.
* And so on, ad infinitum, etc., and they lived happily ever after, yahda, yahda, yahda...
So what do you do to resolve this perplexing, mind-boggling, image shattering, relationship destroying, time wasting, yahda...yahda...yahda...problem???? Simple.
ASK YOUR CUSTOMER!
I suppose it would be asking too much not to flame me?
Die evil thread. DIE!
Dick
P.S. Did anybody count the spaces following the periods in this rag? Did anybody give a hoot?
Please don't answer by posting to the list. This post may have pushed the patience of the list admin and I don't want to cause anybody to be blocked, including me. Feel free to email me directly, if you wish.
