TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Octothorpe

Octothorpe

Julian Thomas (blackhole@jt-mj.net)
Tue, 31 May 2005 22:01:52 -0400

In <20050531063359.8A8A014FF2@massis.lcs.mit.edu>, on 05/31/05 at
02:33 AM, editor@telecom-digest.org typed:

> The symbol will be known as the square or the most commonly used >
> equivalent term in other languages.*
>> *... alternate term (e.g. "number sign") may be necessary...

>> I suppose it's useful to have a translatable term. That approach
>> worked for "star", but it seems to have failed here. Does anyone refer
>> to '#' as a "square"? Anywhere? Enquiring minds want to know ...

> British Telecom likes to call it "square," and uses the term in many
> system prompts, e.g. "Dial the telephone number followed by
> square."

IBM card punch codes (commercial set) had a character that was a
square (with somewhat squashed sides) that evolved, IIRC into the
current # code, so there is some precedent for this.

Julian Thomas: jt@jt-mj.net http://jt-mj.net
In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State!
Warpstock 2005: Hershey, Pa. October 6-9, 2005 - http://www.warpstock.org

Why is it that those who drive slower than you are idiots and those
that drive faster are maniacs? --George Carlin

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