Ohno Type School: A (2020)

> What we want is a balance between the top and bottom negative spaces.

One thing I never understand is why they say "negative spaces" instead of just "spaces".

I guess one reason is that adding "negative" turns the generic noun "space" into a specific term of art. A shibboleth, if you will.

Communities don't generally invent jargon for no reason, and a lot of things that people see as gatekeeping and shibboleths are just terms that save a lot of time in communication between people who know what they mean.

If you are a programmer, terms like "imperative" or "declarative" are extremely opaque to outsiders, but convey a lot of information efficiently if you know what they mean.