Bravo! One of my longtime pet peeves is the adherence of all kinds of media to the century-old newspaper column format. That format makes it easier to read the paper while standing up and holding it in one hand (eg, on a crowded train), but much more difficult to digest anything even moderately complex. So why other forms of media (from academic journals to blog posts) use that format is beyond me. Blogs aren't meant to be skimmed on the subway, they are meant to be pondered in depth and in detail during the workday. Oops, did I say blogs? I meant academic journals...
Most journals that I know about publish two columns per page, because that makes it easier for your eye to track which line you are on. Full page width only works with wide margins (shrinks the column to 6" wide) and big fonts.
I have two problems with narrow columns: they don't let me mix in pictures very well, and they behave badly with multiply-indented lists. I find that I'm prone to the latter, as I remember John Mashey (computer architect at MIPS/SGI) was.
Thank you! I did the same thing last year, I don't know what the skinniness is about.
ReplyDeleteSteve
www.iHateWheat.com
Bravo! One of my longtime pet peeves is the adherence of all kinds of media to the century-old newspaper column format. That format makes it easier to read the paper while standing up and holding it in one hand (eg, on a crowded train), but much more difficult to digest anything even moderately complex. So why other forms of media (from academic journals to blog posts) use that format is beyond me. Blogs aren't meant to be skimmed on the subway, they are meant to be pondered in depth and in detail during the workday. Oops, did I say blogs? I meant academic journals...
ReplyDeleteGeorge
Most journals that I know about publish two columns per page, because that makes it easier for your eye to track which line you are on. Full page width only works with wide margins (shrinks the column to 6" wide) and big fonts.
ReplyDeleteI have two problems with narrow columns: they don't let me mix in pictures very well, and they behave badly with multiply-indented lists. I find that I'm prone to the latter, as I remember John Mashey (computer architect at MIPS/SGI) was.
They are not so skinny. Maybe you should check with other resolutions for you monitor
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