# How do I put more than one space between words in a post? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 11, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680 "2003-03-11T23:17:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/1 "2003-03-11T23:17:21Z")
eg if I type: a a I put 20 spaces between those two a’s but in the post they appear next to each other. Is there a way of making the twenty spaces stay intact in the post? Being a good Doper I checked the FAQs at the top of this forum and I found this post by Arnold: > [@](#): > > Q: Why is it that when I type in several spaces between words in my post, I only see one space? > A: Your web browser compresses spaces. If you include more than one space between two words, only one space will be displayed. > [HTML 4.01 Specification](http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/text.html#idx-white_space-2) > > ## quote: > > ## In particular, user agents should collapse input white space sequences when producing output inter-word space. Unfortunately, Arnold’s post and the page linked to therein is all written in Klingon and I have no idea what any of it means. Can someone please answer the question in English - is there a way to make spaces appear in my posts? I need to know this because I want to make a post requiring spaces. The post I want to make is of the utmost importance and will probably result in world peace, global prosperity, the coming of the Messiah and the dawn of a new era. However, it is _essential_ that I am able to put spaces in it or else I won’t be able to make the post. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/2 "2003-03-11T23:25:07Z")
It depends on what you want to do.   If you want to put extra spaces in your text, like I did at the end of that last sentence, then use the following escape sequence:   Everywhere you type it, it will appear as a space that doesn’t collapse. If, however, you want to add spaces so as to make stuff line up, use the ```auto tag, to get a result like this: ``` ``` North ``` West East South ```auto Spaces inside a ``` tag do not collapse either. I suggest you try out any method you decide on here in this thread before making your pinnacle post, though. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/3 "2003-03-12T00:09:22Z")
```auto a a ``` ok thanks. I think the code tag is what I was looking for. I will make my post soon (I’m not sure the world is quite ready for it just yet). ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_The\_Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Buck\_The\_Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_The_Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/4 "2003-03-12T02:37:07Z")
Maybe a quick cheat? Insert as many periods as necessary to make the space you want, but make the color of the periods white. It looks sorta like…this. Or maybe it only works on my crappy monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/5 "2003-03-12T02:42:57Z")
I was specifically told not to do that. So I think you probably shouldn’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/6 "2003-03-12T04:16:33Z")
The white period trick would only work if your post was the OP or you happened to get lucky and get a white background, anyway. Plus, you can still see them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/8 "2003-03-12T22:37:32Z")
On a Mac I think you can simply use the nonbreaking space (option-spacebar). Let’s see. a\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_a Odd, it seems to be drawing an underscore line 😕 ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/9 "2003-03-12T23:19:21Z")
As far as the HTML specification goes, any program which renders HTML (i.e., takes an HTML file and produces the output we all know and love) should never display more than one space in a row. That’s all it says. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/10 "2003-03-14T11:11:17Z")
Basically HTML is not terribly ‘white space aware’. ie. You can have lines of text appear on the same line, or on the next line or many lines away. Unlike some programming languages (eg. COBOL) which requires you to start in column 7 and has rules as to what you can break over lines, HTML is less strict. So if I had a piece of text in my HTML like this: Hello world I am here today and I will be there tomorrow. Your browser will render this as: Hello world I am here today and I will be there tomorrow. So multiple spaces are not considered to be part of the text but part of the ‘layout’ or ‘readability’ in raw HTML and your browser removes them. The method for achieving multiple spaces has been described above. ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/11 "2003-03-15T17:29:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Buck The Diver \* > \*\*Maybe a quick cheat? Insert as many periods as necessary to make the space you want, but make the color of the periods white. It looks sorta like…this. > > Or maybe it only works on my crappy monitor. \*\* FWIW, Buck: On my home PC (using Mozilla) and my work PC (using IE) posts alterante between gray and white. Your posts just happened to land in a white slot, where I can faintly make out your periods (if I squint and stand a 45 degree angle to the Tropic of Cancer). I wonder if they would be more obvious if your post happened to kand in a gray slot. ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/12 "2003-03-15T17:31:24Z")
Question answered (at least on my PC). I can see the white periods clearly. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_The\_Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Buck\_The\_Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_The_Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/13 "2003-03-16T03:20:37Z")
**Q.E.D.** and **milquetoast** , you are both correct. After I cleaned my monitor screen, the periods are BARELY visible in my post. But when my post was quoted those babies were practically GLOWING on the screen. :smack: I’ll slink away, now. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/14 "2003-03-16T03:52:50Z")
Look, it’s not hard to make them totally invisible, but as I warned, you probably shouldn’t do it! ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/15 "2003-03-16T21:04:29Z")
No break spaces will work if you don’t want to sue code, but code is better for ASCII art. Use the HTML character reference:   (and to do that I wrote  , and to do that I wrote   and so on) Ten no-break spaces and eleven normal spaces, interspersed: a                     a Invisible text in white posts: Lighter text Invisible text in gray posts:Darker text ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/16 "2003-03-16T21:06:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wikkit \* > Invisible text in white posts: Lighter text > Invisible text in gray posts:Darker text ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/17 "2003-03-17T02:42:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > I was specifically told not to do that. So I think you probably shouldn’t either. Just for future reference, do you have a link to that? ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/18 "2003-03-17T05:36:23Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164561](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164561) ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-put-more-than-one-space-between-words-in-a-post/160680/19 "2003-03-17T06:56:25Z")
The “obvious” reason is do not put hidden text in your post, as that makes more work for the moderators, who have to read all the text. They have already said don’t post in symbol or other strange fonts. This is the same thing. Though this seems like the same thing as the spoiler code to me. But the spoiler code tells the mods to look there.