X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f996b,71f43a67af8f0cb2 X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public From: "J. Melusky" Subject: Re: Why *is* it called ASCII Art ? Date: 1996/05/21 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 155971242 references: to: Ken West content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII organization: University of Washington mime-version: 1.0 newsgroups: alt.ascii-art nntp-posting-user: whatfer On 20 May 1996, Ken West wrote: > The ASCII.art FAQ mentions that > > Before computers, ASCII art was made on typewriters, > > teletype machines (5 bit), and was created typographically. There are even > > tee-shirts with the :-) smiley. > This raises a couple of questions: > 1. What was it called when done on typewriters (before ASCII code was > invented)? Well, according to Andrew Belsey, who posted to this group awhile back, he says that there is a book available called: Typewriter Art, edited by Alan Riddell (London, 1975) ISBN 0-900626-99-2 > > 2. Why is it called ASCII art now? > Now, with the prevalence of PCs, using ASCII characters, someone has > decided that this character-based art is to be called ASCII art. > When you think of it, once the characters are on paper, or even on a > screen, the fact that they possibly were orginally stored with 5 or 6 or > 7 or 8 bits inside some computer memory has nothing to do with the art > itself; so, > can someone clarify how the term "ASCII art" came about? And is there any > rationale behind the fact that it clearly HAS come about? > regards, Ken West It wasn't just someone who popularized the phrase ascii-art. It was all those who voted in alt.config. A year ago I subscribed to alt.config and discovered that 100 votes plus a lot of convincing to create a new Usenet group. I wish I was around to be a lurker back then but hey they made a good vote of it! Maybe Scarecrow knows more about the alt.config story? I don't even know if alt.config is still there? Ahhh break time is over. take care, Jon ____ __,-~~/~ `---. _/_,---( , ) __ / < / ) \___ - ------===;;;'====------------------===;;;===----- - - \/ ~"~"~"~"~"~\~"~)~"/ (_ ( \ ( > \) \_( _ < >_>' ~ `-M' ::>|--" M;|.|.| M;|.|.| whatfer@u.washington.edu M;|.|.| See the light..... Jon & Jen having a bad day.