MM> I guess you are one of those people who could not possibly have seen
MM> books published before 1884?  Perhaps you can explain your
MM> definition  of a standard better?  I really don't understand why you
MM> guys are  getting so hot under the collar when I suggest there was
MM> (and,  arguably) still is a standard of employing two spaces after a
MM> period?
     It doesn't matter what you or I think, or what you
or I do - the standard WAS 2 spaces between sentences.
It IS now 1 space.  This is the standard, especially
for proportionally spaces fonts.  That does not mean we
are wrong using 2 spaces.  It would only be wrong if we
were sending our golden prose to a publisher who
demanded it the other way.  Or a teacher, if we were
still in school.
     Another standard is writing out smaller numbers.
Grammatik would choke on my use of 1 and 2 above, and
demand one and two.  For our purposes here, I can
ignore that standard.  Some words may be spelled in
different ways (theatre vs theater, for example).  I
can do it either way, taking into account the audience
for whom I am writing (I am writing for).
     The standards are there, and you can adhere to
them or not. It's more important that you set yourself
a standard and adhere to it, at least for that
document. Mixing 1 and two spaces after periods, etc.,
would be wrong!
     From time to time, standards change and sometimes
those (like me) who have been educated in one standard
have some difficulty making the transition.  Once that
old generation dies off, the new standard becomes the
"firm standard" - then they'll change it again!  It
really doesn't matter a lot and isn't worth all of this
argument.
  FIDO: Bill White @ 1:135/110 (Miami)
 InterNet: bill.white@110.sunshine.com
 * SLMR 2.1a * Avoid commas, that are unnecessary!
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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