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Re: Boulder Pledge



> From: Edward Craig <epcraig@efn.org>

> 
> 	Well, some of us still run to terminal mode, but it's all based on
> Hollderith cards, I tell you, all because of IBM and the IRS.

Well, there's also a little factor from how many characters in a readable 
font size fit across a standard size sheet of paper.  

When you throw in fixed-width characters (as on a typewriter) and some
margins, you can get 80 characters per line (for pica (10 characters
per inch)).

I wouldn't be surprised if Hollerith cards' width of 80 characters 
was partially derived from that.


Daniel
-- 
Daniel Barclay
dsb@smart.net



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