Re: OT: Flamebait: Text vs HTML email
On Thu, Jul 25, 2002 at 02:05:11AM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote:
> On Thu, 2002-07-25 at 01:05, Osamu Aoki wrote:
> > On Wed, Jul 24, 2002 at 02:24:03PM -0700, Craig Dickson wrote:
> > > Ron Johnson wrote:
> > >
> > > > Please set your Mozilla "create email" window to wrap at
> > > > column 72. That also is "standard". (So that multiple
> > > > replies don't cause line to exceed column 72, I keep my
> > > > lines to 65 columns, but that's just preference...)
> > >
> > > The point of limiting original text to 72 columns is that you can have a
> > > few layers of reply text before the original gets pushed out past 80
> > > columns. There's nothing at all objectionable about quoted lines being
> > > longer than 72 columns; it's 80 columns that's the real limit, because
> > > some people still read mail in 80-column console mode (or, as in my
> > > case, an 80-column-wide xterm).
> >
> > YES, 72 columns has practical value for e-mail. But why not 71 nor 73?
> >
> > When I ponder where it came from, I can recall my old days of punching
> > IBM main frame punch cards. 80 columns per card. Last 8 columns were
> > reserved for serial card number (or line number) so I can drop card
> > stack and still be able to sort them back to the original state.
> >
> > 72 = 80 - 8
> >
> > Usually FORTRAN program should fit in 72 column too.
> >
> > I think that affinity to 72 columns may come from these old computer
> > habits. (DEC VT-100 terminal which LINUX console emulates is another
> > example which has 80 column.)
>
> Some thoughts...
>
> ASCII terminals that didn't have an 80 column mode just didn't
> survive.
Rough history:
PUNCH CARD -> TELETYPE (Tape) -> ASCII TERMINAL (Like VT-100)
80 80
> Who wrote email on punch cards????
No one. I just though about where 80 (72) came from.
> Setting the word wrap at 72 gives you 9 horizontal tab stops,
> so maybe that made 72 a nice round number...
...
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Osamu Aoki @ Cupertino CA USA
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I welcome your constructive criticisms and corrections.
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