On Sun, 2 Dec 2007 10:04:54 +0000, Nick Maclaren wrote
(in article ):


In article ,
Sacha writes:
On 2/12/07 09:45, in article , "Si"
$3o&m wrote:

cos usenet is a 7 bit medium and characters like 1/2 are characters that
require 8 bits and so end up as unknown in the 7 bit environment.

I'd like to pretend I understand that but I'm grateful anyway. ;-) In
future it's probably better to write out one half etc.

I could explain, but you would then have to get someone else to
translate :-) Basically, there are two causes of such chaos:

1) Using characters that have no representation in ASCII
(1/2 being one, pound being another). If it isn't on the main
part of your keyboard in either unshifted or prime shift form,
don't use it (e.g. don't use Alt). And don't use pound on a UK
keyboard.

Which is why you will notice the frequent use of GBP in place of the pound
sign on usenet - among those who know :-) You may have realised that on your
Mac keyboard, Sacha, you can only get the hash sign by using Alt/Option + 3
(the hash sign apparently being used by Merkins for the pound sign).



--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church with conservation
churchyard:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk