people who correct unsignificant spelling/grammer errors

That's "insignificent" and "intended".... unless you like looking illiterate. Yes, proper spelling is important!! Many people, if not most, will automatically discount things in writing if the spelling and punctuation are substandard. Don't believe me? Try submitting a job resume full of misspellings, see what happens.....

That's "insignificent" and "intended".... unless you like appearing illiterate. You only need one space between sentences. Yes, proper spelling is important! Just one exclamation point, please. Many people, if not most, will automatically discount things in writing if the spelling and punctuation are substandard. Don't believe me? Try submitting a job resume full of misspellings. Run-on sentence See what happens.

I was always taught to put two spaces after a sentence.

That was the case for about 10 years in the 1970s and 1980s and it had to do with typewirter font. It is no longer acceptable.

Wait a second...

...no longer acceptable or no longer required...

...because I'm almost certain that it is entirely acceptable.

Runs off to LMGTFM it myself...

Nope. No longer acceptable.

Okay, I'm back.

I feel like I just learned a beloved pet of mine had died. I had no idea the double-space had fallen so far out of favor.

That said, I disagree with your conclusion that it is no longer "acceptable" as the MLA seems very clear:

"As a practical matter, however, there is nothing wrong with using two spaces after concluding punctuation marks unless an instructor or editor requests that you do otherwise."

I had stopped using the double-space after a colon years ago in what I thought was defiance against ridiculously outdated rules, completely oblivious that what I thought was rebellion was actually compliance.

*sigh*

I'm going to need a moment here.

Pretty much outside of a college classroom, MLA means nothing. And it is only one of many, many styles. The others state clearly DO NOT USE more than one space after a period. You'll find few college professors these days accepting of it, either.

It really isn't acceptable. But a lot of people still do it, as that was what they learned. I learned that, too. I had to unlearn it. We had a great layout program at my first newspaper that removed any extra spaces so you didn't have to think about it.

Based on my (admittedly biased) research...(and I use that term loosely for what was actually a five-minute search)...I do not believe the consensus is as absolute as you would have us believe. Several prominent associations (including the APA) still prescribe a two spaces after concluding punctuation. And there is evidence for this standard that pre-date the typewriter...

...so just because you and some of your highfalutin publisher-types may *wish* two spaces were not acceptable, that does not simply make it so...

...at least not yet.

(But even if you *are* correct, stop. Just stop. I'm not read to deal with this amount of change in my life right now.)


ETA: This feels much like an argument between a snowboarder and a skier.

...so just because you and some of your highfalutin publisher-types may *wish* two spaces were not acceptable, that does not simply make it so...

...at least not yet.

(But even if you *are* correct, stop. Just stop. I'm not read to deal with this amount of change in my life right now.)

You do whatever you need to do. :-)

I will sit here and judge you.

...so just because you and some of your highfalutin publisher-types may *wish* two spaces were not acceptable, that does not simply make it so...

...at least not yet.

(But even if you *are* correct, stop. Just stop. I'm not read to deal with this amount of change in my life right now.)

You do whatever you need to do. :-)

I will sit here and judge you.

One more thing: Don't expect people to read huge blocks of type. Create paragraphs with the "Enter" key.

This x1000.

Paragraphs are your friends, people.

...so just because you and some of your highfalutin publisher-types may *wish* two spaces were not acceptable, that does not simply make it so...

...at least not yet.

(But even if you *are* correct, stop. Just stop. I'm not read to deal with this amount of change in my life right now.)

You do whatever you need to do. :-)

I will sit here and judge you.

Here is a long article explaining what she's going on about, but I'm sorry, I'm with you. Two spaces not only feels right, it looks right... to me. And I have a hard time believing it is now *widely* considered a violation on par with serious spelling and usage errors. This is the first rant I've seen about it and I work with people who handle our publications and correct their coworkers in other departments all the time.

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html

Ha!

Take that, rml_16...

Read
My
Lips:

your wrong.

uuuummmmm....

I haven't read the comments on here but thought I'd mention it's against forum rules to comment on spelling errors. I got a warning from a mod for doing it once when I wasn't even doing it! I was trying to inform the person to read what they post as their auto-correct was making their sentances unreadable. Can't get help if no one can understand what you are saying right?!

PS language and syntax changes. Soon we will all be speaking in acronyms and brief spelling. LOLZ wut wut!

Can we get back to the funny pictures? Because this thread is soooo not the place for earnest debates/arguments about this stuff. It turned from a sly joke into something not amusing at all.

If you don't think the last few pages were amusing...

...I would suggest that you read them again...

...but this time, with the knowledge that rml_16 is on my FL.

(That doesn't make her any less wrong...

...but it makes the discussion less antagonistic.)

Ok, well if it's fun for you guys, that's ok then...

bump for later

insignificant*

I am a grammar Nazi but refrain from correcting on this website and any other forum for that matter.

I failed dismally at Maths and Chemistry so I had to excel at something

*twitch*

So if I'm speeding by 5ish MPH over the limit, but the officer is pretty sure I INTENDED to adhere to the limit, he should just let me go? How about in a school zone with kids crossing the street? Yes, like driving, bad grammar kills.

Bad grammar is generally OK. It's bad punctuation that's dangerous.

Let's eat, Gramma.

Let's eat Gramma.

You spelt Grandma wrong.

I know. :-)

Yes, there are still people holding on to the two spaces after a period thing, but those people are incorrect.

"Incorrect" is a pretty strong statement for a language that doesn't even have an "academy" (not that that means much). Maybe a better description is "out of fashion" . . .

opps