Quote:
Originally Posted by Ea
AFAIK there are studies (can't find any online right now though), and what they have shown is, that on a computer monitor, it's easier to read if there is empty space between paragraphs. The empty lines helps the reader to keep track of where she is - a screen usually gives a larger "paper size" than most books. On the other hand, a 6 inch, or smaller, screen is quite a different experience, the screen size for instance are not larger than the paper size of a small book. On top of that, e-ink is very much like paper to look at.
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I've seen eReader format on my computer monitor and I think it looks awful. The line spaces do not help keep track of where I am. They just get in the way and help me lose track of where I am. And if you have single lines of dialogue, it's even worse. Whoever conducted those studies is way off base here. The way it works is we read the text and then when the eye hits the line space, the brain thinks ... ok, new section ... but it's not and that throws off the reading experience big time. Also if you are reading a section with single lines of dialogue or short paragraphs and turn your head away, finding your place on the page is actually going to be harder to do. And that includes section breaks even if the section break has 2 lines of space instead of one.
So while it's subjective as to line spaces or not, overall, it's easier to read without them. You may or may not like them. But for the majority of people, they don't work.