Apparently, the quickest way to show your age on the internet is to put two spaces after a period in a sentence. If you’re like me and you learned to type in keyboarding class in the 90’s or before, it’s likely a habit enforced by muscle memory. Hit the period key, double tap the space bar. Seriously, since I realized this was no longer cool I have to go back through every document I write after the fact and remove the extra spaces.

But Does It Really Matter?

I can tell you are thinking, Ok so I’m not cool, but do all those double spaces in my content really matter? It turns out, the answer is YES! There is actually science behind the idea that one space is superior – in legibility, for spacing, and aesthetics. All of the content you write on your site is a form of marketing and defining your brand – and marketing materials should always be consistent and as visually appealing as possible, right? If you don’t believe me, do a Google search for “one space after period or two” and you’ll see many passionate arguments for the world to stop using two spaces.

This article in particular from the marketing site The Deciding Factor has an interesting take on the subject from the point of view of a Designer, Journalist, and Strategist.