NICE: Double Space in Docs Now Being Used for Age Discrimination
March 26, 2015
Didn't see this late last year - maybe you did. More from Career Counselor Marc Miller, via Lifehacker:
"I am going to go out a limb and declare that putting two spaces after a period is obsolete. It is how most of us were taught to type on a typewriter. Therefore, most of us who do this (I have taught myself to stop putting two spaces after a period and it was hard) are over 50 years of age.
Over the years, I have heard that this has been used as a method of screening out older candidates."
I'm into my 40's, and it's a natural thing for me to do two spaces. Some grammar/spacing nazis have pointed out that I shouldn't do that.
Me? I've never made the adjustment. Rather than focusing on the spacing and use of the King's English of others, I just try to write everyday and let the market/readers decide what to do with me.
I've never understood the fascination with attempting to correct others use of grammar or spacing, especially when the issues involved appear to be opinion, not fact. But age discrimination? That's something that should get your attention - do with that what you will.
If any part of you writes for a living - and we all do to some extent in any white collar job - I'm going to go out on a limb and say anyone who would eliminate you for using a double space after a sentence is someone you probably don't want to work for.
The leading ways to determine someone's age for discrimination purposes are still the following:
1. Year you graduated on your resume
2. The fact you don't put the year you graduated on your resume (you must be old)
3. Your pictures on social profiles.
4. You list "Different Strokes" as your favorite TV show.
Should you change that double space? Meh. Even the commenters on the above post can't agree on that, as it shows 30-year olds saying they do it and that's the way they were taught.
Do what you will. But how's the quality of your writing? I would focus on that. (that 5-spacer was for you, copy nazis)
I'm 33. Everyone I went to school with learned to type with two spaces because our first typing classes were before variable spaced fonts were commonplace. I did relearn it because I had a college professor who would deduct 1% per two spaces because he thought we were trying to space out our papers more to hit page requirements.
Posted by: Lance Haun | March 26, 2015 at 09:32 AM
Well I am old enough that I learned to type on an IBM Selectric typewriter - so yeah I sometimes still do it.
Next up: Stop using periods and capitalization in titles and on slides.
Posted by: Sean Conrad | March 27, 2015 at 08:57 AM
Two spaces makes it easier to read. Does that make it an age thing? Perhaps, but then it's the reader who's older, not the writer. I'll remember to use this next time I'm representing a 40-plus-year-old employee.
Posted by: Alix Rubin | March 27, 2015 at 05:22 PM