<p>As a member of the legal community, I’m still a 2 spacer and although I have learned to accept (grudgingly) the single spaces in my student’s papers (I teach legal writing to law students) I do advise them when they are actually out practicing law, they need to be aware of their audience. There are a lot of dinosaurs in the legal world that are used to seeing 2 spaces and resist change, even of something so minor.</p>
<p>two spacer here. We were also supposed to put two spaces between the state and the zip code. I suppose that’s out the window now also? Eh.</p>
<p>I learned on a MANUAL typewriter in summer school. My kids think I’m a dinosaur but this was only in about 1970.</p>
<p>It’s because of how certain programs break lines of text. In situations where there’s no intelligent word-wrapping, the lines will break however they break based on the width of the display. Put in two spaces after a period (full stop), and sooner or later, you will have a line that starts with a space. (The programs know not to do this with single spaces between words or at the end of sentences).</p>
<p>I used to freelance as an editor of text for online adventure games. One of the first things I did was “correct” all the single spaces to doubles at the end of sentences…then try to hurriedly change them back again before anyone noticed.</p>
<p>I work at a newspaper. One space after a period is our style, and AP style as well.</p>
<p>conyat and sly_vt, thanks for explaining to an old dinosaur! </p>
<p>now i understand where that one space comes from and why – and can accept the one space now.</p>
<p>Gee, my only C in high school was in typing and now I learn that what I did was wrong! It makes sense now that all typing is on electronicly formulated fonts, just going to be hard to quit. There’s something satisfying about that double click at the end of a thought. Period. The End. Forever!.</p>
<p>And yes, they took out all my double spaces.</p>
<p>the true secret to minimizing additional thoughts while maximizing paragraph (and paper length), is to look at where the end of the last line of the paragraph lies.</p>
<p>For instance a sentence like this one can be lengthened very easily.</p>
<p>Whereas, one in this format will require a lot of extra characters, words, thoughts.</p>
<p>But overall, when editing a paper, I usually kill lots of fluff, and filler type words. Less is more. College Tech Writing showed me the light.</p>
<p>Oh, dear. space space However will I train my fingers and brain to reduce to only one space? space space Well, at least I can go and change my settings in Microsoft Word. space space</p>
<p>You could have knocked me over with a feather at this news. space space</p>
<p>@ jmmom: You’re right. It’s so ingrained in me that I put the double-space at the end of a paragraph, too!</p>
<p>FWIW, I find it heartening that this thread is well into page 4 and that people have the sense and decency to engage one another without hostility over every issue that emerges on this board!</p>
<p>@ pjp1116: You’re right. I’m the worst offender on CC and have to duck when the Succinct Precinct Police come out!</p>
<p>Take a look at my post #18 (page 2) where I wrote two nearly identical paragraphs, one with double-spaced sentence ends and the other without. By the time we get to the last line of the paragraph with about 4 or 5 extra spaces added, all these words have moved to that last line: “macro…Besides, do” but while that seems like a lot of extra movement for just a few extra spaces, both paragraphs end up being four lines long. </p>
<p>The extra spacing didn’t add any length at all.</p>
<p>But if your paragraph ends near the end of a line, you might want to work in one more word in a strategic location to send it all cascading to the next line.</p>
<p>Or just use lots of short one or two sentence paragraphs. That moves things down the page quickly. Especially if your format adds a carriage return before and after each paragraphs.</p>
<p>Am I right or am I right? Or am I right?</p>
<p>MLA changed its rules??!!! I refuse to believe it. </p>
<p>Two spaces forever!</p>
<p>I am truly dedicated to the double space. RIP. Since this seems to have happened some time ago, I blame Bill Clinton and the Republican majority in Congress.</p>
<p>As to padding a paper, I have to admit to some surprise that this would be an issue after 8th grade. When I was in college I was far more likely to have to cut to make maximum length than to stretch. Maybe that’s why I studied political science instead of chemistry.</p>
<p>
<em>ROFL</em> atomom!!! I was really stunned at that too! And yeah, I’m with YOU!!! :D</p>
<p>I am shocked, SHOCKED to find that single spacing has been going on in this establishment! </p>
<p>I had absolutely no idea either - although I have noticed the way the forum changes my original spacing and thought it was strange. I also like the double space look much better.</p>
<p>I’m seventeen. I was taught to double space and I still double space…maybe I just live far enough in the boonies to not have gotten the memo. But seriously…Single spacing is just lazy.</p>
<p>I remember learning the 2-spaces-after-sentences rule in typing class (in the 1970s). My son told me when he was in high school that the rule no longer applies. I insisted I was right, but he found some source that proved me wrong.</p>
<p>‘Cancelled’ is now correct, too, I believe…it still bothers me, and I still insist on spelling it ‘canceled’ …ah, yeah, we’re old-school.</p>
<p>When I learned how to type in the 1990s, I was always taught two spaces after a period. It is a habit for me to do that. It’ll be hard for me to change. I don’t think most people will notice if it is one space or two.</p>
<p>Word flags me if I use one space after a period. What would a Mac do?</p>