[net.misc] "!", "*", and "#"

thomas (12/06/82)

And for all you old IBM hackers, remember the 'slash bug' cards?
("/*")
=Spencer

bill@sri-unix (12/08/82)

The Univax Exec8 hackers around here (University of Wisconsin --
NOT the computer sciences dept, thank heavens!) read '*' as 'gear'.
It's a common symbol in Exec8 full file names.
		Bill Cox

george (12/11/82)

I have a pulse dial phone.
It has a button on the lower left marked "*"
which is used to disable the microphone.
It has a button on the lower right marked "#"
which is used to repeat the last phone number.
Neither of these seem to have anything to do with
those things with which tone phones use buttons
having those symbols and positions.
I would think that this is apt to cause confusion.
Does anyone know why this is done?
It does not seem to be isolated to one particular pulse phone.
I have seen this on a number of different models from several
manufacturers.

		George Rosenberg
		duke!mcnc!idis!george
		decvax!idis!george

jcwinterton (12/16/82)

	Naturally, anyone who has used GE200/GE600 or Honeywell 6000/66/DPS8
machines always says "star" for * because the printer character really is a
five point star.
			John Winterton.