Punctuation And Spaces !

[EvianBaby]

Recently I've noticed a lot of people (here and everywhere) putting spaces between the end of sentences and the punctuation, apart from full stops.

Like this !

You know what I mean ?

I asked a guy at work why he did it and he said he thinks it makes it easier to read. I completely disagree.

I do try not to be a grammar nazi, mine is hardly perfect but I find it inexplicably annoying.

Do you think it makes it easier to read?

And if you do it, why?

[EvianBaby]

Sick, and curious as to how you did that.

[sherrardk]

Sorry Evian, in a bit of a scratchy mood - didn't run my internal bitchiness check before I posted.

[jno]

it's an interrobang. (Or three of them.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrobang

[EvianBaby]

No need to apologise. I'm not exactly little miss sunshine myself today and my plates not half as full as yours.

[smoneybags]

This was published on Facebook the other day: It is now a tattoo. Shop. . Also. Do anybody. Remember. The. Man. On opposite. Side. Witch would have been. Barclays. Bank. It is now. Paddy powers. .i think. The mans name. Was eddy. He used to shout out. Standard. Standard. Come and get your. Standard. Also. Dose Any one remember. Len dukemans. Shop. He played for Spurs. Back in The. Approx. 30 into. The 40. Ths. X

[waterboatman]

nopunctuationandspacesareessentialtomakeitreadableoryougetsomethinglikethis

[lady-janine]

iunderstandexactlywhatyoumeanwaterboatrmanthankyouformakingitsoclear

[waterboatman]

yourewelcomeladyjane

[Old_Geezer]

I completely disagree with you Evian. I have always put a space there since the punctuation is not part of the word it simply ends the sentence and looks awful tagged on as if the word has gained another character. A full stop is small enough not to stick out but and ascender punctuation is far better separated from the word. I've never understood why the common practice was to jam them both together. As for asking why, it's self evident is it not ? Perhaps the question should be why are some of the opinion jamming punctuation on the end of the word makes it easier to read rather than jarring the senses.

[heathfield]

Sometimes I'll leave a space before an exclamation mark. Due to the font used on Answerbank, to me, an exclamation mark can look a bit wrong immediately after the letters l and d, and a space seems to clarify what otherwise could be mistaken for mis-spelling. (Especially if my spectacles need a wipe). e.g. 'shall !' versus 'shall!', 'could !' versus 'could!'.

[douglas9401]

It 's far too hot to be running to the shops !

[Frank97]

If I'm asking a question I'll put the ? directly after the last word in the sentence, but if I'm posting an answer that I'm not certain is correct I'll leave a space.
What time is the cycling on?
10:30 ?

[heathfield]

Isn't that ususally written as 10:30 (?)

[heathfield]

^ usually.

[Frank97]

I don't know, punctuation has never been one of my strong points.

[heathfield]

More by convention than it being a punctuation 'rule'.

[jake-the-peg]

somE oF us jUst DO stuFF lIke that 2 B annoyying !!!

:c)

[heathfield]

It's been a slow week, Jake. Must be the heat. (?)

[DTCwordfan]

! a ro ? a decaps delbuod sah enoemos esuaceb dne ot gniog yllaer dlrow eht sI .emit fo etsaw a si yllaer siht ,woN

...sevitinifni tilps gniklat era uoy fi woN

[Tilly2]

What language is that DTC? It look eastern European to me.