rdw2030@venus.tamu.edu (WIDRIG, RAQUEL DAWN) (07/06/90)
What is the original purpose for the use of ROT13 with newsgroups? I saw some profanities posted elsewhere and they were done in ROT13 format to prevent anyone from seeing them that didn't absolutley want to. But I'm sure there is a more practical use for it! Anyone?? Mark C. Lowe - KB5III
jik@athena.mit.edu (Jonathan I. Kamens) (07/09/90)
In article <6380@helios.TAMU.EDU>, rdw2030@venus.tamu.edu (WIDRIG, RAQUEL DAWN) writes: |> What is the original purpose for the use of ROT13 with newsgroups? I saw some |> profanities posted elsewhere and they were done in ROT13 format to prevent |> anyone from seeing them that didn't absolutley want to. But I'm sure there is |> a more practical use for it! Actually, as far as I know, the original purpose of ROT13 *was* to post things that some people might find offensive, and such a purpose seems very "practical" to me indeed. In particular, I believe it was first used in rec.humor (Or was it net.humor at one point? I'm too much of a young'un to know the answer to that one :-) because some people wanted to be able to read all the "clean" jokes without being forced to see the "dirty" jokes as well. Offensive jokes are usually posted ROT13'd, with a plaintext description in the header, telling what's offensive, so people can choose whether or not to decrypt the joke to read it. What kind of "practical use" did you have in mind? Jonathan Kamens USnail: MIT Project Athena 11 Ashford Terrace jik@Athena.MIT.EDU Allston, MA 02134 Office: 617-253-8495 Home: 617-782-0710