TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Technical name for the #? From:Tracy Boyington <tracy_boyington -at- OKVOTECH -dot- ORG> Date:Tue, 1 Dec 1998 08:17:12 -0600
> I've never heard of # being called "hash" but am now
> enlightened about why it would be called a pound key: it's the banking system
> that uses that term.
Since everyone else has thrown their 2 cents in, here's mine. I've never
seen # used to signify pounds sterling (in the U.S.), but I have no
banking experience. I *do* have food service experience :-P, and I have
seen # used extensively instead of the abbreviation "lb.", especially on
invoices, recipes, etc. As others have said, the moral of this story is
"know your audience."
