Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: watmath!watserv1!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uunet.ca!geac!itcyyz!yrloc!rbe
From: rbe@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Robert Bernecky)
Subject: Re: Demise of the non-ASCII character set
Message-ID: <1992Mar25.214604.9889@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM>
Reply-To: rbe@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Robert Bernecky)
Organization: Snake Island Research Inc, Toronto
References: <1992Mar22.020216.4191@watson.ibm.com>
Distribution: us
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 92 21:46:04 GMT

In article <1992Mar22.020216.4191@watson.ibm.com> gerth@watson.ibm.com (John Gerth) writes:
>Although many of the arguments for the demise of APL character
>set (actually if I read correctly - any non-ASCII character) do
>seem forceful, I cannot help but be overcome by a sense of irony.
>
>Here we are at the end of the twentieth century giving good
>battle against the 'c' in the hardware (and 'C' in the software); 
>anticipating vast increases in communication bandwith; thrilling
>to the possibility of a million-fold increase in switching speed;
>churning out ever more detailed icons for our GUI's; but what do
>do we imagine for ourselves as both the desirable and forseeable future -
>linear 7-bit text?

I don't think anyone considers limiting text to 95 or so printable
graphics as being desirable. However:

a. This very net is incapable of transmitting anything more complex
   than that without standing on your head("cut here", "uuencode")

b. The ability to display things on a screen does not imply ease in
   entering them into a system. I can display a garbage can or 
   recycling bin, but how to I type it? 

   Perhaps new data entry technology ("The Glorious Pen Computer" , 
   voice recognition) will solve (b). 

   (a) won't be solved for a while, though, methinks. 
Bob




Robert Bernecky      rbe@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.com  bernecky@itrchq.itrc.on.ca 
Snake Island Research Inc  (416) 368-6944   FAX: (416) 360-4694 
18 Fifth Street, Ward's Island
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2B9 
Canada
