I do quite a bit of data sorting from time to time, and have noticed a huge rise in people not putting in spaces any longer on postcodes and phone numbers, and not capitalising where customary - and it's a real PITA, particularly when doing searches. It also makes it much harder to read. For instance:
01234 567890 becomes 01234567890
AB12 3CD becomes AB123CD or ab123cd
Jack T. Lad becomes jack t lad
123 Any Street, Anywhere, West Midlands becomes 123 any street anywhere west midlands
It's really starting to irritate me, especially the phone numbers - no one verbally gives out their number in a stream of ten digits without pausing. You say something like, "My phone number is 01234 (pause) 567890", not "My phone number is 01234567890" and expect them to remember it.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this as well - and why is it happening? Change in culture or just pure laziness? I'm starting to see run-together phone numbers sign written on company vans and trucks now too. Does it bother you? Have we become such a lazy society that we can't even be bothered to press the Shift or Space keys? Do these people not realise someone has to go back afterwards and fix it so data searches work and people can read easily? Do you think less of someone when you see them do that? It just seems selfish, lazy and inconsiderate to me.
Let the sarcastic comments begin below.