Computing (FOLDOC) dictionary
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character, humour The mnemonic of a mythical
ASCII control
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 especially
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.
(1996-06-29)