I first learned about periods in elementary school.
When I got a little older, I learned what comes after periods.
At some point between then and now, somebody changed what comes after periods.
And no one told me about it.
At some point between Mrs. Berg's typing class at Pewaukee High School in 1981 and today, somebody changed the rule about how many times you hit the space bar after typing a period.
Mrs. Berg taught us to double-space after a period. So, for the last 30 years, I have been following that rule.
An online column I read last week indicated you are supposed to single-space.
What?
When did this happen?
I was shocked not only about the fact that the double-space rule had been overturned, but even more so about the fact that I had never heard about it.
How did I miss this?
Was I sick the day this was announced?
Was I gone on vacation?
I have worked in communications my entire career. Granted, much of that was in the verbal communication arena. Still, I have done plenty of writing. I've worked side-by-side with people who write for a living. How did this never come up even once in conversation?
I had to find out when and how this happened, so I did some research. I discovered that every typographer, the people who study and design the typewritten word, agrees on the single-space rule.
I learned that the whole double-space thing got going with manual typewriters. They used monospaced type, which means each character occupied an equal amount of horizontal space. Monospaced type, or fonts, left quite a bit of space between certain characters, so in many cases it was difficult for the eye to quickly identify where one sentence ended and the next began. The double-space rule was born to make this easier.
Monospaced fonts were then eliminated with the invention of the electric typewriter, and later, the computer. Since then, we have had proportional fonts. That is, letters that take up only the space they need. Because of this, double-spacing after periods is not necessary. More than that, it's wrong.
OK, I can get on board. But, I can't help wondering who was responsible for telling me about this?
Should there have been a notice included in the box that my first computer came in? Do typographers need a better public relations firm? Should there have been a special report on one of the 24-hour cable news channels?
I'd like to apologize to those at OnMilwaukee.com who have been editing the pieces I have submitted. I'm guessing you have recognized that I, up until now, have been an unenlightened double-spacer. I will do what I can to break this habit.
But I'm not sure my thumb is going to get the hang of it.
Craig is a meteorologist who was born and raised in Pewaukee. After getting a degree in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he worked over 20 years on TV and radio in Milwaukee, Madison, Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri.
Craig spends most of his time trying to keep up with his bride and their three teenage daughters. Any time left over is spent with his other beloveds, the Packers, Brewers and Badgers.
