OT: Keyboard spacebar is unlabeled

Bill Horne bill at horne.net
Tue Jan 11 00:22:26 EST 2005


Brendan wrote:

>On Monday 10 January 2005 23:08, Bill Horne wrote:
>  
>
>>Gordon Marx wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 22:39:01 -0500, Bill Horne <bill at horne.net> wrote:
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Try a model 19 Teletype, buster! The kind where the keytops could be
>>>>twisted off and moved to differenct keys any time the crew wanted!
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Wait, you had keys? I had to lick the wires to make the connections.
>>>Then I had to give presentations with a scorched tongue.
>>>      
>>>
>>Easy. Freshman-level. Nay, Bush League.
>>
>>_I_ had to send PERFECT Baudot code to a Model 19, using a STRAIGHT
>>telegraph key, at 60 words per minute for five minutes, with no errors,
>>in order to graduate the course. Top _that_!!
>>    
>>
>
>How's that skill working out for you these days?
>
>  
>
Sadly, time has taken it's toll, and I'm now content to use Morse code 
and only 20 WPM. All the old Baudot telegraphers were replaced by 
automatic machines years ago, and there's hardly anyone left who can 
make a perfect 31 millisecond "stop" pulse on a hand key.

Bill




More information about the Discuss mailing list