What is the name of this symbol

[Rapidskies]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

This is the at or address sign. On the Internet, 5053 is the symbol in e-mail addresses that separates the name of the user from the name of the server that stores the users' e-mail messages. Example: john.doe@symbols.com (user John Doe on the e-mail server symbols.com).
In business, 5053 formerly meant at or each. Three goblets 5053 45 dollars, for example, meant each goblet costed 45 dollars.
This sign was one of the standard characters on all typewriters' QWERTY keyboards for a long time. You can see it on most old typewriters on the same key as number 2.
The sign 5053 was chosen as one of the special characters in the ASCII set of characters that became standard for computer keyboards, programs, and online message transmission.
In July, 1972, as the specifications for the file-transfer protocol were being written, someone suggested including some e-mail programs written by Ray Tomlinson, an engineer at Bolt Beranek and Newman, cheif contractor on ARPANET, the precursor of the Internet. In their book, Where Wizards Stay Up Late, Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon describe how the 5053-sign got there:
"Tomlinson [...] became better known for a brilliant (he called it obvious) decision he made while writing [the e-mail] software. He needed a way to separate the name of the user from the machine the user was on. How should that be denoted? He wanted a character that would not, under any circumstances, be found in the user's name. He looked down at the keyboard he was using, a Model 33 Teletype, which almost everyone else on the Net used, too. In addition to the letters and numerals there were about a dozen punctuation marks. `I got there first, so I got to choose any punctuation I wanted', Tomlinson said. `I chose the 5053-sign.' The character also had the advantage of meaning `at' the designated institution. He had no idea he was creating an icon for the wired world."
Thus, the 5053-sign is not a new invention. Some researchers even believe it was used as early as in the sixth or seventh century, probably as a ligature (combination) of the two letters a and d for Latin ad, meaning to.
The 5053-sign has different names in different languages: In England it is called at-sign or commercial at, in Germany Klammeraffe (hanging monkey), in France arobas or petit escargot (small snail), in Spain arroba (an entity for weight) and in Italy chiocciolina (small snail).

This quote is blatantly false because I know for a fact Al Gore created all things related to the internet not some yahoo named Tomlinson.

 

[godmare]

Originally posted by: Crono

Originally posted by: dullard
It's one of the few abbreviations that takes longer to write well than the full unabbreviated word. Lets get rid of it for that reason.

Yeah, but it makes sence to use for email addresses. Better than seeing mynameatgmail.com.

eat gmail

woah

 

[Ace McCloud]

That's what we thought it was, just wanted to ask the experts.

 

[mrrman]

use it all the time...electronic mumbo jumbo 12V@3A for ex

 

[MisterJackson]

Originally posted by: godmare

Originally posted by: Crono

Originally posted by: dullard
It's one of the few abbreviations that takes longer to write well than the full unabbreviated word. Lets get rid of it for that reason.

Yeah, but it makes sence to use for email addresses. Better than seeing mynameatgmail.com.

eat gmail

woah

<Fat Bastard>GET IN MAH BELLY!</Fat Bastard>

 

[SMOGZINN]

Originally posted by: dullard
It's one of the few abbreviations that takes longer to write well than the full unabbreviated word. Lets get rid of it for that reason.

Hmm, everytime I've seen it hand written it was just a spiral, doesn't take any longer to write. I make an cursive 'a' with a tail around it, one pen stroke. At takes at least 2.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: SMOGZINN
Hmm, everytime I've seen it hand written it was just a spiral, doesn't take any longer to write. I make an cursive 'a' with a tail around it, one pen stroke. At takes at least 2.

That is why I said "write well". Sure anyone can draw a spiral and pretend it is an @ symbol. But to write it clearly and well (say so a computerized handwriting reader can understand) takes more work than writing "at".

 

[chcarnage]

Originally posted by: Ipno
"petite escargot" .. hehehehe

:laugh:

It was called "monkey's tail" in German when it was less common 😛