"Executive Search" - June 5, 2020

[steveb]

Done and done

[paige11]

Ashore! Fun one this week.

[steveb]

One space after a period. The standard started to change in 1985, with the advent of "desktop publishing," which introduced the world to proportionally-spaced fonts, kerning and WYSIWYG* printing, and provided a huge boost to a little Silicon Valley company called Adobe, without which we would have had a different meta a few weeks ago. I remember that era well; I worked for Apple then.

People who learned to type before 1985 may be reluctant to let go of their old habits, but times and technology have changed. Ironically enough, in this thread, even the people favoring two spaces are only using one!

* WYSIWYG = "What You See Is What You Get"

[burak]

I have never used and will never use two spaces.

Haven't even printed the meta yet but wanted to make the above statement for the record

[JPMalone]

Can't get the meta, and I've never heard of the "two space" rule.

[M and M]

Cheerful and done, but not your everyday meta.

[Inca]

Got it! I had the right idea immediately but it took me a while to figure out the right strategy. It's a 100% answer.
As a copy editor for many years, I can state unequivocally: it depends on what type of writing you're doing. In typing class (yes, I am dating myself) we were taught to enter 2 spaces, but then I had to unlearn that when I became a reporter (reporters use 1 space).

And then came computers on which characters vary in size. Reading got easier on the eye Negating the need for two spaces.

Yes, when computer fonts with different size characters came out I was told to unlearn my ingrained habit of two spaces after the period. I really don't see why they had to go and change is. As you can see (if your eyes are better than mine), I am still doing 2 spaces; it's automatic for me. Hard to learn new tricks and I see no harm in the extra space.

[DBMiller]

Code: Select all

Two spaces.  If using a typewriter or mono-spaced font.  As most people who used an actual typewriter were taught.

In modern times. Single space due to proportional fonts. Automatic kerning by computers has pretty much made the two-space "rule" obsolete.

[Inca]

proportionally-spaced fonts, kerning and WYSIWYG* printing,

Those were the words I was looking for when I just fell back on "different size characters". Couldn't remember

[BarbaraK]

Yes, this is definitely a very familiar shore I'm on.

[edot]

Ashore!

Not 100% confident in the answer I have but I think it's the right one...If anyone wants to check theirs with mine to confirm we're on the same page I would appreciate it!

Stay safe folks--happy first weekend of June!

[Inca]

Have been a two-spacer for quite a while, but starting to understand the other point of view. Some fonts and kerning make two spaces looks too wide. I really don't care if it 'dates' me.

I have bigger gripes with other spelling, grammar and punctuation crimes and misdemeanors.

Don't get me started. I'm editing a book by an academic who uses words like "pedestalize" instead of simply "put on a pedestal."

That's a new one for me but am sure we'll see it shortly in a crossword

[juliet]

Have been a two-spacer for quite a while, but starting to understand the other point of view. Some fonts and kerning make two spaces looks too wide. I really don't care if it 'dates' me.

I have bigger gripes with other spelling, grammar and punctuation crimes and misdemeanors.

Don't get me started. I'm editing a book by an academic who uses words like "pedestalize" instead of simply "put on a pedestal."

Strunk and White (still used in freshman writing courses!) was clear on "izing." Two spaces, learned about the same time in typing class, will probably always look right to me.

[juliet]

Grid is done, but I'm saving the meta for savoring later.

[Joe Ross]

Not 100% confident in the answer I have but I think it's the right one...If anyone wants to check theirs with mine to confirm we're on the same page I would appreciate it!

The meta is 100% clear, but you propose a novel way of solving!

Good luck to everyone!

[LesY]

Ashore!

[boharr]

The meta is 100% clear.


[/quote]

Easy for you to say!

[Bird Lives]

Don't get me started. I'm editing a book by an academic who uses words like "pedestalize" instead of simply "put on a pedestal."

The "ize" neologisms are inelegant, to say the least, and I would advise writers to try to find a substitute. Why disincentivize when you could use discourage ? But often it reduces several words to one. I don't like "contextualize X," and maybe "put X into context" is better? But in time, we will become accustomed to it just as we have become accustomed to other -ize words that once sounded awful.

(Also, in NJ, pedestalizing is covered under Megan's Law.)

[Frenchy]

One space after a period! Early in my schooling I learned it was 2, then the expectation became 1, now Word flags 2 as a mistake.

[Geezer Weezer]

My toes feel sand.