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Limbo · 08-06-2007, 05:45

It's bad practice now ain't it? Thought it was a relic from typing pools...

I need to discourage it from our team but have no evidence to support my suspicions. Did I read it here?

steveb · 08-06-2007, 05:52

One space after punctuation. Anyone who wants to contradict should first look at the typography in a book.

If you get text with double-spacing, just do a find-and-replace in a word processor first. " search for ".__" replace with "._"

Limbo · 08-06-2007, 06:00

Cheers Steve. Fair point.

cam · 08-06-2007, 06:02

It's from the typewriter days I thought

Limbo · 08-06-2007, 06:09

yeah - stopped the keys strokes locking or summat.

steveb · 08-06-2007, 06:11

"It's from the typewriter days I thought"

Yes it is. Some typewriters in the olden dayes had the period/fullstop positioned in such a way that it struck in what would be the middle of the next character. So one space still looked a little cramped and two spaces were recommended at some typing schools.
Later post-war typewriters managed to make the period, comma and exclamation mark strike much closer to the preceding character, making the extra space redundant. But habits die hard and of course there are still people - even younguns - who like two spaces after punctuation. Thanks to the miracle of modern word processing they can do what they like without everyone looking like fools.

"stopped the keys strokes locking or summat." - that's the reason for the qwerty layout.

Limbo · 08-06-2007, 06:15

ah, reet.

steveb · 08-06-2007, 06:30

It might be interesting (shorthand for "I want") to know how many members have actually used a manual ( = not electric) typewriter for real?

I've done translations in the 70s and early 80s which were accepted on typewritten A4s.

gotnousername · 08-06-2007, 09:54

Steve you are a mine of information.

cam · 08-06-2007, 10:40

For your census, I think I've only used electric.

Limbo · 08-06-2007, 10:44

my folks owned one, I used it every now and then for letters, But never 'worked' on it.

steveb · 08-06-2007, 11:36

Mitch, thanks for omitting the "useless"!

samuelcotterall · 26-06-2007, 09:00

It's called "French Spacing".

Whilst it does have it's technical advantages (in typewriters, or for people with dyslexia) it is something to do with the aesthetics of print.

French spacing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

funkyprem · 26-06-2007, 09:40

I don't do it on the web, only in Word. Wrong or not, I think it looks better so there!

Limbo · 26-06-2007, 09:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by samuelcotterall

"French Spacing".

It would be the bloody french.

samuelcotterall · 26-06-2007, 10:08

Haha.

Well, I don't think it's French in the same way accents and things are, but rather refers to everything French being a little bit fancy, over complicated and pointless.

See: "Parisian bar etiquette"

08-06-2007, 05:45	#1 (permalink)
Limbo Another turn. Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,980	Double spacing after full stop. It's bad practice now ain't it? Thought it was a relic from typing pools... I need to discourage it from our team but have no evidence to support my suspicions. Did I read it here?

08-06-2007, 05:52	#2 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 5,475	One space after punctuation. Anyone who wants to contradict should first look at the typography in a book. If you get text with double-spacing, just do a find-and-replace in a word processor first. " search for ".__" replace with "._" __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

08-06-2007, 06:02	#4 (permalink)
cam vague™ Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Glasgow Posts: 5,590	It's from the typewriter days I thought __________________ The Blog™ \| TWHF \| Twitter \| LinkedIn

08-06-2007, 06:11	#6 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 5,475	"It's from the typewriter days I thought" Yes it is. Some typewriters in the olden dayes had the period/fullstop positioned in such a way that it struck in what would be the middle of the next character. So one space still looked a little cramped and two spaces were recommended at some typing schools. Later post-war typewriters managed to make the period, comma and exclamation mark strike much closer to the preceding character, making the extra space redundant. But habits die hard and of course there are still people - even younguns - who like two spaces after punctuation. Thanks to the miracle of modern word processing they can do what they like without everyone looking like fools. "stopped the keys strokes locking or summat." - that's the reason for the qwerty layout. __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

08-06-2007, 06:30	#8 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 5,475	It might be interesting (shorthand for "I want") to know how many members have actually used a manual ( = not electric) typewriter for real? I've done translations in the 70s and early 80s which were accepted on typewritten A4s. __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

08-06-2007, 06:00	#3 (permalink)
Limbo Another turn. Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,980	Cheers Steve. Fair point.

08-06-2007, 06:09	#5 (permalink)
Limbo Another turn. Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,980	yeah - stopped the keys strokes locking or summat.

08-06-2007, 06:15	#7 (permalink)
Limbo Another turn. Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,980	ah, reet.

08-06-2007, 09:54	#9 (permalink)
gotnousername Chavtastic Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 1,790	Steve you are a mine of information.

08-06-2007, 10:40	#10 (permalink)
cam vague™ Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Glasgow Posts: 5,590	For your census, I think I've only used electric. __________________ The Blog™ \| TWHF \| Twitter \| LinkedIn

08-06-2007, 10:44	#11 (permalink)
Limbo Another turn. Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,980	my folks owned one, I used it every now and then for letters, But never 'worked' on it.

08-06-2007, 11:36	#12 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 5,475	Mitch, thanks for omitting the "useless"! __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

26-06-2007, 09:00	#13 (permalink)
samuelcotterall Interactionist Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Manchester Posts: 188	It's called "French Spacing". Whilst it does have it's technical advantages (in typewriters, or for people with dyslexia) it is something to do with the aesthetics of print. French spacing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia __________________ samuelcotterall.com

26-06-2007, 09:40	#14 (permalink)
funkyprem For all your goober needs Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Coventry, UK Posts: 1,551	I don't do it on the web, only in Word. Wrong or not, I think it looks better so there! __________________ Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the one thing that he can’t afford to lose. - Thomas Edison prem ghinde

26-06-2007, 10:08	#16 (permalink)
samuelcotterall Interactionist Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Manchester Posts: 188	Haha. Well, I don't think it's French in the same way accents and things are, but rather refers to everything French being a little bit fancy, over complicated and pointless. See: "Parisian bar etiquette" __________________ samuelcotterall.com

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