I note many references to the Chicago Manual of Style. Does it justify the styles it preaches? Perhaps, in deciding the whole “one space two space” issue, the editors just played rock-paper-scissors and the editor advocating one space got his way.

Incidentally, here in South Africa, the practice is justified margins and I am yet to come across anyone who becomes bothered by the odd word being stretched out a bit. Not only that, the first lines of our paragraphs are not indented.

There is plenty evidence that documents are easier to read with two spaces at the ends of sentences; apart from the comments of others on this issue, there is my own thirty-one years experience reading, proof-reading, amending and reviewing documents on a daily basis.

This is compparable to putting two lines between paragraphs.

However, I do agree with you on ragged right margins.

Cheers

Regarding the smartphone keyboard shortcut, all that indicates is that manufacturers glommed on to a pervasive keyboard habit. It carries no weight in terms of what the most efficient practice is for purposes of word processing.

And there’s no evidence that use of two spaces makes text easier to read.

Ken

I also happen to think that, mentally, we find our reading just a little bit easier when we’re programmed to know that a slightly larger space indicates the beginnning of a new sentence and therefore a new or additional thought. For that reason I don’t like full justication format: to justify, the computer tinkers with space between letters and words, expanding space as necessary to make the right edge even. This makes reading slightly more difficult.

It is interesting that I am at this moment looking at the Sunday Styles section of last Sunday’s NY Times – the article running down the left hand side is ragged, the one running down the right hand side is fully justified. Odd.

This topic isn’t substantive, but so what? The world of English usage encompasses a broad range of issues, and I don’t find it a challenge to at least acknowledge them.

As long as they’re not writing for me, I don’t care how many spaces someone uses. But this sort of change isn’t that hard: I accomplished it overnight.

Furthermore, plenty of my readers are a lot younger than you (and I) and so are perhaps more willing to countenance change.