From: Jiri Baum <jirib@sweeney.cs.monash.edu.au>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 12:12:49 +0800
To: jimbell@pacifier.com (jim bell)
Subject: Re: phone calls from hell
In-Reply-To: <m0tZ0ab-00090OC@pacifier.com>
Message-ID: <199601080355.OAA23848@sweeney.cs.monash.edu.au>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Hello,

(Maybe I should put [Noise] into the subject, but then again the whole
thread is, isn't it...)
 
...[About exploding phones]...

> Sorta gives new meaning to the term "_Terminate_ and Stay Resident" program, doesn't it?!?
> 
> (Or "end of file.")

This isn't really news...

Haven't you ever heard of the ASCII control character EOU?

Quoting from the Jargon file:

:EOU: /E-O-U/ n. The mnemonic of a mythical ASCII control
   character (End Of User) that would make an ASR-33 Teletype explode
   on receipt.  This construction parodies the numerous obscure
   delimiter and control characters left in ASCII from the days when
   it was associated more with wire-service teletypes than computers
   (e.g., FS, GS, RS, US, EM, SUB, ETX, and esp. EOT).  It is worth
   remembering that ASR-33s were big, noisy mechanical beasts with a
   lot of clattering parts; the notion that one might explode was
   nowhere near as ridiculous as it might seem to someone sitting in
   front of a {tube} or flatscreen today.


This isn't worth signing and I'm tired...

Jiri
--
If you want an answer, please mail to <jirib@cs.monash.edu.au>.
On sweeney, I may delete without reading!
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