Thursday, February 05, 2009

Pet Peeve: Elite and Pica Type

There may be someone who has noticed I have big problems with those people who still use monospaced elite or pica type these days. This dates back to the 1970's when I was diverted from researching into word-processors (to replace the IBM MT/ST's we were using) by some papers on proportional spacing and type faces. Bottom line: proportional spacing aids readability--monospacing was a limit of the typewriter's mechanism.

So I'm shocked, absolutely shocked, to find the FAA still using it, as in the transcript of the airliner ditching in the Hudson. Come on people, join the 21st century.

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