One vs. two spaces

[Loyal]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

For reference, how many of you actually ever have used a typewriter? Or how about just early-as-shit word processors (even before Word Perfect on DOS)?

I used it to type a lot of homework in grade school.

[Bobbey]

I've never heard of this rule before, although it's probably because I was in a French school or something. I naturally always put one space at the end of a sentence, since I figured it just looks nicer this way; no one ever told me to do it a certain way. Two spaces I find being too much and unnatural.

[synkr0nized]

Some folks appear to be deeply offended by the idea of double-tapping the largest key on the keyboard.


Also, Marc: graphite scale

[Krylo]

I've used a typewriter, as a kid. I remember the white out and stuff being used for erasing and the clackity clack clack. It was my mom's if I remember right.

I was just a munchkin though, it probably hardly counts.

Though my first computer predated MS DOS. Not because MS DOS didn't exist yet, but because my computer illiterate grandparents bought it for me.

[CelesJessa]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

For reference, how many of you actually ever have used a typewriter? Or how about just early-as-shit word processors (even before Word Perfect on DOS)?

I used a typewriter, but it was mostly because my family had one before we got the computer (Windows 3.1). Like Krylo though I was just a little kid though so I don't think it counts. I didn't write anything important on it.

Also I never double spaced.

[Amake]

Funny how half of everyone seems to do this double tapping thing without being able to help it, and the other half has never heard of it. Yeah I've never heard of it either. Probably I'm too old school, since my teachers were more concerned with handwriting than with typing.

[bluestarultor]

Just a technical note, but that Courier New comment is bull. By my count, monospaced fonts defaulted into Windows include: Bitstream Vera Sans Mono, Consolas, Courier New, Deja Vu Sans Mono, Lucida Console, Lucida Sans Typewriter, Miriam Fixed, OCR A Extended, and Simplified Arabic Fixed, showing no language is safe.


On that note, I was taught two spaces and always use that unless specifically directed otherwise. It's easier to read in papers and my own notes to myself.

HTML is limited in that it treats all white space characters as equal and trims them all down to just one in the display. The only way to avoid that is to use non-breaking space characters, which also have the side effect of acting like a letter connecting the words they're used between (which can be pretty useful, actually).

[Sithdarth]

I vaguely remember being told to do it then never bothering and no one ever caring that I never bothered. I was a horrible typist in high school anyway. This actually reminds me of the whole cursive vs print thing. When I was taught cursive we were instructed to do all writing ever in cursive. Then I hit high school and no one cared but it was so ingrained in me I couldn't stop. To this day it takes considerable effort to print. Although my cursive has evolved to incorporate the odd print character here or there. It depends on several different parameters if a particular character ends up being print or not. It's almost unpredictable.

Also, now that you guys have made me think about how I type I realize that somehow I learned how to type without looking at my fingers and I have no idea when that happened. But being aware of it is now messing with my ability to do it.

[Geminex]

Double space?
How... barbaric.

[Bells]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

For reference, how many of you actually ever have used a typewriter? Or how about just early-as-shit word processors (even before Word Perfect on DOS)?

*raises hand* both regular and eletric!