Open punctuation just looks sloppy.

[AnareticDegree]

I think the UK, as with so many other things, has lost the plot when it comes to punctuation.

Large transcription agencies now requiring open punctuation, but at the same time wanting two spaces after a full stop, non-justified paragraphs and line spacing that just looks random, frankly.

How do others navigate this?

I am no longer style-supervised, proof-read or edited. When I was, I found things like forced Oxford commas, international spellings, capitalised nouns and passive-voice irritating. Now I determine my own style and have long used minimal open-punctuation.

An email goes:

Dear Person

This is what I want.

Further content, punctuated properly. Sentences as short as possible.

Yours, Brick
Contact details

A letter on paper is the same, with a subject line in bold, handwritten signature and extra paragraph spacing if there's room. It should fit on one side.

In an article or report, only headings, captions and perhaps lists would be unpunctuated, but that's always been the case in my experience. I always punctuate content fully, though I'm no expert. Even in comments or text messages.

I don't mind unjustified paras (like here) if the line spacing is clear and consistent. I think justified with single line space is worse for clarity. Line spacing is as important as any other punctuation. It can be varied between different elements, as long as it's absolutely consistent. Definitely not random. And nobody needs two spaces after a full stop. Nobody.

Edit: I put two spaces before that last 'nobody' for effect, and it was autocorrected to one!

2spaces after a full stop jerks my brain. It stops everything flowing properly.

Having said that, the worst thing is having a last-minute contribution cut for space. I've had my main-point paragraph removed for that!

Problem is, that’s how I learned how to touch-type. Always two spaces after a full stop. And I can’t get out of the hang of it when I’m typing (texting, not a problem).

I’m a graphic designer and I receive most of my copy in Word that I then import into my layouts in my design software. Extra line and character spaces are a complete pain in the arse as I have to go through the text and delete all of them. Upside is I’m paid by the hour, so every cloud…

Yes, BrickBiscuit, that's what I do. Does it read well, is it polite, does it look tidy and have I spellchecked and generally bothered with the details.

Only to be told by a bot-enslaved human that there are now "standards" that I haven't met.

Was told 30 years ago when learning to touch type to always put 2 spaces after a full stop. Then 15 years ago was told by clients that it was old-fashioned and to stop doing it immediately. Now apparently 2 spaces are the norm, as is randomly leaving full stops out

Looks rubbish and lazy or is it just me.

It is how we were taught to type in the Olden Days.

How's this for punctuation?

At my job as Nursery assistant which I've been doing for almost 2 years now as a male with brown skin and black beard and black hair and brown eyes I go to different Nursery's and in all Nursery's kids love me regardless of anything regardless of the kids background or skin colour and they show it in different ways and vice versa aswell and why is that all because nobody is born racist so even as an adult you can see and treat everyone the same regardless of anything regardless of anyone's background or skin colour so imagine if my parents brought me up being racist then I wouldn't be how I am today because I see, treat and love all kids the same regardless of anything regardless of any kids background or skin colour so at my job I experience true, real and genuine humanity I just wish everyone can be the same even as adults by the way when we become adults we realise racism is in all backgrounds, cultures and societies regardless of anything but ask yourself and I also ask myself do you want to be one of them as an adult? And also how do you want your kids to grow up to be like? Because I've learnt from the kids at the end up the day it's not about how you look like but how you make someone feel so regardless of how you look like if you can make a child laugh then they will love you lol and the more you can make them laugh the more they will love you and remember you and want you to make them laugh the same way again next time and more different ways aswell lol so if you want a break from your kids and at the same time you want to make sure they will be in good hands and the right hands and the safe hands and the protective hands then let me know then we can arrange something together lol trust me at the end of the day your kids wouldn't want me to leave and also they would want me to come back again lol

From Nextdoor.

Wow. Love the way that, in that long screed of almost entirety unpunctuated writing, they've taken the care to add two erroneous apostrophes.

It turned out that the writer had SEN and was really nice about the negative comments his post got.

Fair enough. In fact, if he'd just broken it down into a few paragraphs and sentences it's not all that badly written. The spelling is pretty good, there are no atrocities like "would of" or mixed up homophones that I spotted.

If I were his line manager and were helping him, for example, write children's reports, that's the advice I'd give.

He was very gracious, and I've seen far worse on here.
The lack of punctuation makes it unlikely to be read.

When I learned to type (on an actual typewriter no less) we were taught to leave two spaces after a full stop. It has taken me many a long year to wean myself off it.