this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2025
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At my last job, a bunch of the older folks did not realize they had a "two spaces" habit.

It's a clear tell.

Saw this meme and thought I'd point that out.

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[–] 58008 1 points 5 days ago

I was taught to do that in word processing class in 1995 😭 I was only following orders!

[–] I_Fart_Glitter 101 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I love how this implies that all of us in the over 40 crowd are desperately trying to avoid β€œtells” about our age.

β€œOH GOD PLEASE LET THEM THINK IM 28!!! I’LL NEVER DOUBLE SPACE AGAIN!!! NO CAP I’M THE FIRE GOAT!! BET.”

[–] Donkter 27 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

That's gen z language. You should have called yourself the skibidi rizzler.

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[–] monkeyslikebananas2 12 points 2 weeks ago

fr fr on god

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[–] DharkStare 89 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (8 children)

The "two spaces" habit is because that was proper typing etiquette back in the day. You would lose points on on submitted papers if you didn't do that. I still do th two spaces when typing on a computer but use a single space on my phone.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 weeks ago

What’s funny is I finish my sentences with two spaces on my phone because that is the shortcut for a period and a space.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago (9 children)

Yeah, I think this is more of an "over 50" thing. Someone who's 40 today would have been born in 1984. That would have had them graduating high school in ~2002 - well into the computer age and not ever having to do anything on a typewriter.

[–] gibmiser 30 points 2 weeks ago

I'm 38 and I do it despite knowing it annoys people. It's just how I learned to type. Idgaf

[–] legion02 22 points 2 weeks ago

The MLA guidelines didn't change until 2019.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I’m 35 and I learned two spaces in school growing up :shrug:

Then later I learned it had changed so I stopped doing it. :double shrug:

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[–] essell 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I'm mid 40s and was taught the double space practice, I guess it depends on when you first learned this stuff, it was very uneven teaching back then

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[–] elbucho 72 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

I realize that I have a "two spaces" habit. I have no problem with it. I find the fact that you are so bothered by an extra space after the period to be bizarre.

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

I do this. I'm under 40. It looks nicer.

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[–] metallic_substance 40 points 2 weeks ago (9 children)

Who legitimately cares about this?

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[–] ikidd 31 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

If you fucking illiterate children are going to murder language with "u" and "ur", I'll put two spaces after the period, which is the right goddamn way to format anyway.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

The double spaces is a holdout from the age of typewriters, where spaces were all the same size. Modern fonts (non-monospaced anyway) already have different spacing between words compared to the spacing after a period.

If β€œur” and β€œu” don’t belong in normal communication, neither does two spaces after a period.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Monospaced font is great though.

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[–] kerrypacker 11 points 2 weeks ago

Yep it looks and reads better than a single space.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 weeks ago

And I'm going to keep doing it. Fight me.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

2 spaces? Bullshit, I put 1 tab.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

What. A. Weird. Thing. To be annoyed. By.

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[–] False 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Two spaces after a period was the way typography was taught and graded through the late nineties and maybe later. On a keyboard my thumb automatically double taps the space bar after a period. No thought, just reflex. On a phone, I never type a period. My keyboard app automatically inserts a period after a double space.

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[–] SocialMediaRefugee 22 points 2 weeks ago

Because it makes it easier to read so bite me.

[–] HexesofVexes 21 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

No thanks, I want to improve the readability of my work.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (7 children)

This is literally how you're supposed to write. I ain't throwing out the rules of English just because you didn't learn it.

[–] AstridWipenaugh 22 points 2 weeks ago

Supposed to according to whom? AP style, which is the standard for most English non-academic content, says one space. https://x.com/APStylebook/status/1254786139539427329

(Sorry for using Twitter as a source, but it's straight from AP)

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago

I don't know why I love the sassiness in this reply. I'm 42 and I do it too.

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[–] Jikiya 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I will not stop. And whining about it will make me double down.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
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[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It was designed to stop typewriters from sticking. They taught the habit to me on a IBM computer. It is irrational, but so is life.

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[–] homesweethomeMrL 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Watch me write fuck you in cursive.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 weeks ago

no, i dont think i will.

[–] hoch 18 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It appears you've triggered the elderly

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

We've triggered the kids with spaces. SPACES

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago

Kids want all the spaces to be safe, except for the spaces spaces. Fuck those safe spaces spaces.

[–] Thcdenton 17 points 2 weeks ago
[–] Smoogs 17 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

If this is bugging you you deserve to be annoyed._ You're looking for reasons to be miserable._. You’re doing it to yourself. _ You give your power away to easily.

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[–] ClipperDefiance 16 points 2 weeks ago

Understood. I will use three spaces from now on.

[–] sakodak 15 points 2 weeks ago

I use two spaces and you are all "no cap fr fr skibidi Ohio fam."

Fuck off.

[–] RizzRustbolt 14 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

What does my Oxford Comma use say about me?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

That you aren't uncultured swine. Or at least that you are considerate enough to put in the effort to make the task of reading your posts as painless as possible.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Why would anyone do that, and why would anyone whine about an extra space anyway?

Sorry, but this is a lot of fuss over nothing. Coming from 40+

[–] bhamlin 17 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

I grew up with this. Typing class (as in typewriters) forced this behavior on me and I was graded on it. It's a tough habit to break when your formative keyboard habits are suddenly wrong. It's not that easy to stop when you've been doing it that way for thirty years.

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[–] Nuke_the_whales 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

How is that worse than people who use run on sentences and no punctuation?

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

Is this from that Oatmeal guy? He's always seemed very easily annoyed.

[–] OccamsRazer 11 points 2 weeks ago

I had a guy review a document I wrote go through and "correct" all of my spaces by adding another one.

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