A character-related conversation is complicated.

Especially if it’s the invisible character on your keyboard – space!

A colleague once used the shortest Bible verse – “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) – in a post.

He wrote “Jesus  wept.” with an extra space in between.

When I corrected it, he asked, “What’s the big deal?”

So I edited it to “Jesus     wept.” and asked, “Is this a big deal?” knowing we could get into a jam!

“Yes, it looks erroneous. The words need to be closer.”

“Then what about the first case with a single extra space?”

“I didn’t even see that gap and even when you told me, I didn’t mind it.”

“Can it be a big deal for even one reader?”

“Yes.”

If you’re trying to convince a reader with words, the last thing you want is a simple/silly error that:

1. Distracts the reader
2. Ruins the reading experience
3. Conveys editorial unprofessionalism
4. Increases friction toward that call to action