Initials and spaces

[nq:1]In names with initials and abbreviations, such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Mr. J. Cale, J. Edgar Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, should there be a space or not after the dots?[/nq]
Yes, put a space after the period in an abbreviation.
[nq:1]Also, can I omit the dots?[/nq]
Only for Harry S Truman.

Jack Gavin

[nq:2]In names with initials and abbreviations, such as J. R. ... should there be a space or not after the dots?[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, put a space after the period in an abbreviation.[/nq]
Unless it's followed by another abbreviation, of course.
[nq:2]Also, can I omit the dots?[/nq]
[nq:1]Only for Harry S Truman.[/nq]
Zmadrafack, they're quite often omitted these days in BrE. Quite a

[nq:1]In names with initials and abbreviations, such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Mr. J. Cale, J. Edgar Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, should there be a space or not after the dots? Also, can I omit the dots?[/nq]
Spacing after the periods (dots) is correct. Using periods in abbreviated names is correct, if one is using the full address. However, since many people are referred to by their initials as

I eschew them. (They're unnecessary and aesthetically unpleasing.) I usually keep the spaces though.
Mr A G Bailey

(answering euquiry abouyt spacing after abbreviations)
[nq:1]Indeed, as in Peetee (PT>>P. T. Barnum) the names of the letters in some initialized names are often spelled out. ... (a.m.), etc. I feel awkward using "period", and "dot", without asking here: Do youBrits use full-stop in every non-mathematical use?[/nq]
The word "period" is not customarily used in this sense in BrE (in gr

[nq:2]In names with initials and abbreviations, such as J. R. ... not after the dots? Also, can I omit the dots?[/nq]
[nq:1]Spacing after the periods (dots) is correct. Using periods in abbreviated names is correct, if one is using the full ... (a.m.), etc. I feel awkward using "period", and "dot", without asking here: Do youBrits use full-stop in every non-mathematical use?[/nq]
Using spa

[nq:1]"HL Mencken" and "JRR Tolkien" look odd to me.[/nq]
And in certain fonts, "Al Bundy" ('A' followed by lower case 'L') looks a lot like "AI Bundy" ('A' followed by upper case 'I' (eye)).

Jack Gavin

Because it wasn't an abbreviation, I suppose?

Alec McKenzie

[nq:2]Yes, put a space after the period in an abbreviation. Only for Harry S Truman.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because it wasn't an abbreviation, I suppose?[/nq]
Right-o. But Harry usually did put the period.
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/speriod.htm

Jack Gavin

[nq:1]The word "period" is not customarily used in this sense in BrE[/nq]
Formerly it was, but, as Alan Jones went on to note, it is ambiguous, as are "comma", "apostrophe", "parenthesis", "colon", etc., all of which, like "period", have meanings in the study of language other than their reference to punctuation marks. Mike Hardy