Two spaces after a period: Why you should never, ever do it. | Slate Magazine

Often times, people who are in a position to dictate style and taste have none.

I don’t have a strong opinion about one or two spaces after a period. However, as a software developer(programmer and artist) the modern universally accepted C (and other languages) bracketing conventions drive me crazy. They make no sense and are more difficult to read than the alternative which never took hold.

if(this_is_easier_to_read=TRUE){     just as the code within the brackets is to be indented     so too should the brackets themselves as they     come after the statement.     if(even_when_nested=TRUE){             It’s much easier to read when nested.         The depth of indentation corresponds with the brackets.         }     In this way, the relevant brackets are inline with      the relevant code they contain. Much easier to read and cleaner.     }

if(this_is_easier_to_read=FALSE){     This, the universally accepted format    is much harder on the eyes and to keep    track of which brackets belong to what,    especially as they’re nested.    if(this_becomes_harder_to_read=TRUE)    {         There’s stuff in here, but which        brackets go where?    }          Brackets floating everywhere in space.} When you look at whole pages of code done in the first style, it really becomes clear how much cleaner and more legible the code is. Brackets contain code, therefore it stands to reason they should be indented consistent with the code they’re containing. They are not part of the statement so why they get indented as if they are is conceptually incorrect and inconsistent. 

Hoards of programmers just went along with however the masses at Microsoft or wherever else did it, not thinking about the why. Steve Jobs never would have accepted the current method given a choice.