I often ignore good advice. A few days
ago, someone suggested that I start using one space after a period instead of
two; I needed to get with the times. Google will prove me correct. The first
thing that popped up; “Nothing says over-40 like two spaces after a
period.”
Set in my ways? Irrespective of daily
reminders, and evidence to the contrary, I deny it. Some things are sacred: two
spaces after a period and the Oxford comma, for example. My high school Typing
and English teachers told me so. The second thing on Google was an exhortation:
“For all that is good and holy in this world, don’t . . . ! I felt God was
calling on me to experiment with change, against my better judgment. I don’t
like paragraphs that look like run-on sentences.
The computer is now set to allow only one
space after a period. This should take care of the issue, but it doesn’t. It
seems muscle memory is stronger than brain memory. Each time I type a period,
my thumb automatically hits the space bar twice, producing a green line that
tells me I goofed. Each sentence needs re-spacing. Why call it a space bar if
they don’t want you to create spaces? Why is it so long if not to make it easy
to hit it twice from either side of the keyboard?
Old fashion typesetting allocated the
same space to each letter, regardless of width. Typewriters did the same thing.
It makes perfect sense. Electric typewriters started squeezing smaller letters
together, and computers followed. Printing became proportional. Today, almost
every popular font produces proportional spacing between letters. A computer
has been on my desk since 1982, and until recently, no one complained about two
spaces after a period; it was encouraged. Technology wins out again.
It may no longer be necessary to double
space after a period, to separate one sentence visually from another, but I
still don’t like it. I checked my AP style guide – single space. I checked the
NYT style guide – single space. I checked the University Of Chicago Manual Of
Style – single space. They are all lemmings. These style books may be correct,
technically, but it that doesn’t make them right!
There
is good news, however. The courier fonts
allocate the same space to all letters.
For good measure, they require two spaces between sentences. This makes life easier for those who have good
muscle memory or those who want to stay with the tried and true.
We
can talk about the Oxford comma another time.
