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Subject:Re: What is "-30-" at the bottom of an article From:Eric Falkof <eric -dot- falkof -at- LJO -dot- DEC -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 8 Jul 1997 08:36:36 -0400
Reader/Writer Lori L. Janies is partially correct when she says that
XXX was sent the old wire journalists. She said it was sent by
telegraph. No, it was sent by Teletype (c) in the pre-ASCII days. The
XXX did indeed signify 'end of message' only because it was visually
recognizable as the printed copy rolled off the platen. And also,
indeed, it rolled; the paper on those machines was typically in rolls
about 50 feet long. For those who care, those early Teletype machines
(the Model 15) weighed in at around 95 lbs, without paper, so they did
not skip around on the desk, but they chugged along 24x7 at a whopping
45.5 baud!
73 (an older telegrapher's salutation meaning 'best regards'),
Eric Falkof
Digital Equipment Corporation
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