Time to settle the biggest debate ever
(I don't drink beer, so "Tastes Great!" vs "Less filling!" isn't on my radar.)
View attachment 181148
A typewriter kerchunks sideways a set amount, no matter which letter you type. An "i" takes up the same width as a "W". And a basic kerchunk of the carriage was not enough space to denote a new sentence. An O or a W might overhang a bit, as the typewriter manufacturers cheated a few microns for legibility of the letters.
But computers use dynamic spacing. They know when a sentence is beginning. They know skinny letter vs fat letters (I'm looking at you, W!) See how close the "i"s in the previous words are to the other letters?
And, that dynamic spacing means we get re-flowable text. If you're reading this on a computer screen, grab one side of the window, and pull it in for a smaller footprint. See how the text reflowed to fit?
If you put two spaces at the end of a sentence, and that sentence ends a line of text on a screen, some screens may end up splitting those spaces. One at the end of a line of text, and one at the beginning of the next line. It's a minor annoyance, but I've had to go back and reread some stuff on the interwebs to see if the thought on the next line pertained to the stuff above it, or if it was meant as a new line and new thought.
So rules for legible thought cohesion:
- Single space after a period/full stop
- Online, hit the RETURN KEY to break up long blocks of text. New thought? New issue? New topic? Hit the return key.
Thanks for reading. This reader of words is grateful for your continued efforts.
We now return you to your normal debate over the Swiftie Bowl tonight. Bean Dip? Ranch Dip? Or Queso Dip?