(no subject)

[damselfish]

Thanks to my commercial law class, I have a new, totally irrational, fiery pet peeve: two spaces after a period.

My professor had a question/answer format for his class. So I would copy and paste the questions into my notes. He used two spaces after a period, which meant I had to go through every question removing the extra space-- I don't know why I didn't just do a replace all. Maybe it was to take up time during class. Either way, I saved maybe a couple pages thanks to removing those extra spaces (the class notes were 120 pages long, and I occasionally reclaimed a line from the questions).

Now when I see them, I hate them.

I never used to see them before, but now I do. I didn't even know it was possible to tell the difference from a quick glance, but it so is. One of my friends that I speak to... she does it. And I gnash my teeth in fury during our conversations because-- I don't even know why! It enrages me. That huge gap, like a yawning chasm, wasting precious space. I didn't realize how irrational and all-consuming this peeve is until that friend sent me a section of her book to beta, and I had to do a replace all of the extra spaces. When I send it back, I'll have to replace them (except now she's seen this post so it's not like I'm hiding anything). It's not something I see all the time, I just look at the IM box at a certain angle and there the spaces are, mocking me, taunting me for my inability to remove them. I'm like Lady Macbeth and the damned spot.

I know it's not important. It really doesn't matter, especially in online mediums where there is no paper to be wasted. I don't like people any less if they do it. Though it's now incorrect technically, the rational part of me says "it's habit, and it's acceptable. I won't give up my oxford comma, I won't make anyone give up their two spaces after periods." Yet it still drives me absolutely mental.

In sum: I don't understand myself sometimes, but I sure do hate two spaces after the period.

Comments

[foxfirefey]

It's probably bad to add to your pet peeve, but...

While it's pretty easy to find-and-replace two spaces and turn them into one, unless I'm mistaken, it could be perilous to go the other way around, because it's easy then for two spaces to get added after in-sentences periods such as ones after Mr. and other abbreviations.

[damselfish]

Oh. Right. Didn't think of that. OOPS! XD

Thanks for the head's up.