Question: So there is a debate about how to edit ellipses in posts on the site. This has come to a head [in this latest post](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/129353/is-on-one-hand-on-the-other-hand-a-cliche-to-be-avoided).

Here is what needs to be decided as an official policy so that we don't end up with edit wars/community wikis from too many edits.

What do we want for a site policy?  

1. use three periods ...  

2. use three periods with a space in between . . .  

3. use a narrow-space plus dots (separate each dot with U+202F NARROW NO-BREAK SPACE)  

4. use a proper UTF8 ellipsis …  

5. let the poster decide which method to use and otherwise leave it alone

Answer: 
The only possible correct answer ***for a site policy*** is option 5: let the poster decide, and leave it the [expletive deleted] alone.

Edit wars like in the linked example are laughable. It's an ellipsis in an internet post, folks, not a government ID number on a tax return.

If you encounter a post where someone used regular spaces between the periods and it's breaking across two lines, then you can edit to fix it; but please also fix *all* typos and misspellings in the post while you're at it. If they merely used non-breaking spaces and you like your ellipses space-free (or vice versa), then please, for the love of all that's holy, go find something better to do with your time.
If I can restrain myself from editing out the first word in all those ELU questions starting with a redundant ***So*** ([like](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/129380/) [these](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/128106/) [three](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/127868/)), I see no reason why others can't just accept the OP's typography.

Having said that, I don't *entirely* subscribe to Kitfox's option #5 here. Whilst I don't think mods (or anyone else, for that matter) should put any effort into "standardising" this particular aspect of typography (in *Answers*, too? - how about *Comments*?), I don't see any reason to rail against anyone who wants to do it. Unless the OP in question objects, in which case he has the final say.

We've been given [clear guidelines](https://english.stackexchange.com/a/77866/2637) on some typographical conventions adopted by one of our more "professional" users. Which is all very nice, but I doubt even *he* seriously thinks it would be worthwhile attempting to enforce consistency across all ELU posts.