An editor's nerdy correspondence with friends

Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2014 13:28:40 -0600
Subject: periods
From: d---@gmail.com
To: L'Editrice
CC: a---@gmail.com


Dearest Sarah,


It appears that both A and I have been shocked to hear recently that we should NOT use two spaces between sentences when typing. I remember getting an inkling of this hidden knowledge when you edited my website blurb a few months back, but it all came to the forefront when I read a scathing article in the Huffington Post about the flagrant misuse of spaces between sentences. A was apparently in a heated debate about this at work (maybe not heated, but I'm taking some liberties paraphrasing). Can you impart your knowledge?


If it is true, I do not know how I will un-train my thumb to use only one space. And when others see my emails at work, they will think *I* am the ignorant. This will pose quite a dilemma.


D



Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2014 14:22:00 -0600
Subject: periods
From: L'Editrice
To: d---@gmail.com
CC: a---@gmail.com


Dearest friends,


It is indeed true. I learned it in my first week at HarperCollins. The previous convention comes from using a typewriter, when you would do two spaces to clearly separate between sentences. Now that we all use word processors (such an old-school-sounding word, too--hee) the programs automatically add a little more space after a period, so typing two spaces between sentences is no longer needed.


Let others think you are ignorant (if they even notice)--you can be smug in knowing you have it right. (Also, I'm sure everyone else is making far more flagrant mistakes.)


Sincerely,
Your editor friend




Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2014 14:55:24 -0600
Subject: periods
From: d---@gmail.com
To: L'Editrice
CC: a---@gmail.com


Wow. It's official then. I will have to adapt. OMG, it's so hard to stop. Thank you :-)

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