Update: More One Space Stuff

Breaking in a new Project Manager is tough. We need to work together to figure out new ways of communication and roles need to be clarified. I work closely with PMs, so working out a solid working relationship is crucial.

All that said, the toughest thing about a new PM is getting her/him to stop putting two spaces after a period.

It has been a while since I opined on this topic, but here is more info:

Chicago Manual of Style: In response to the question One Space or Two?

One space .... There is a traditional American practice, favored by some, of leaving two spaces after colons and periods. This practice is discouraged by the University of Chicago Press, especially for formally published works and the manuscripts from which they are published.

One Space Between Sentences: Adapted from Robin Williams, The Mac Is Not a Typewriter; Berkeley: Peachpit Press, 1990

Webword: One Versus Two Spaces After a Period is a report that includes lots of references to people who think about this sort of thing. They all agree on one space.

My company publishes quite a bit of stuff, so we really need to pay attention to this sort of thing. I know it's hard to break the bad habits your high school typing teacher beat into you, but it's the right thing to do.

Hell-in-a-handbasket: Old Bands with New Lineups

I recognize that most bands can swap out their drummer or bass player without changing the essence of the group, but once you start replacing significant chunks of personnel, maybe you no longer have the original band.

Here are some rock bands that kept using their original name after some crucial pieces left:

Yes without Anderson, Wakeman, or Bruford
Last great album: Close to the Edge
Continuation story: Chris Squire owns the name, so they have kept on putting out albums through many, many different configurations.

Led Zeppelin without John Bonham (whose death precludes much touring) or Robert Plant (who is still alive)
Last album: In Through the Out Door
Continuation story: After Bonham died, Led Zep went a long time without playing together, but they have recently announced that they plan to tour without Robert Plant.

Pink Floyd without Roger Waters.
Last great album: The Wall
Continuation story: David Gilmour and Nick Mason put out a couple more albums without Waters.

The remaining people in these bands don't (or didn't) seem to understand the nature of their bands' success.

What other bands have I left off this list?

Hell-in-a-handbasket: Intro and Legos

This is the first of an occasional series in which I will discuss signs I have seen that indicate that society is going to hell in a handbasket. Sometimes it is clear whether the sign is a cause or a result of this trip to a hot place in a woven, wooden structure, but it is often unclear. I won't usually judge causality, but will generally judge that these signs are bad.

Frankly, this could be a blog unto itself. I am imagining a site like What White People Like, but from a border line Gen X/Baby Boomer perspective. People like me who grew up in the 70's see signs that are specific to our age.

So, to start us of:

Lego Sets with Complicated Directions
Back in my day, legos had very simple shapes. Nothing was slanted. No curves. No directions. We got a box of rectangular bricks and started creating. We could make airplanes, cars, houses, boats, and other things, but we had to figure out how to make them with a set of rectangular bricks. When more types of rectangular shapes came out, we were happy (e.g., two-by-one bricks were an awesome addition to my Lego collection). When shapes that were not completely rectangular came out, we didn't know what to do with ourselves. Such options!

Nowadays, Lego sets come with pages of directions and usually have all sorts of crazy pieces that have curves and angles. Check out Lego's City line! That stuff is insane. Lego is doing more of the imagining and kids are doing less. I know that creative kids will ignore the directions or take the same pieces and do something really interesting with them, but I liked the days of having to bring your imagination to make things out of incredibly rudimentary building blocks.