What is it with the "__" inserted in between someone's name???

[FlamingoBlue]

Is it some sort of cult thing? I understand TN Vixen, but what's
TN_Vixen all about? And Slut_Boy and
What's_His _Name?? Help me out with this one, please.

blue

 

[TonyG]

Yes, join us Flamingo_Blue.

 

[Madame Pandora]

The Underscore : A Love Song

An _ is called an underscore.

It is often used in the magical land of computers to create an unobtrusive character instead of a blank space.

So I can be Madame Pandora
or Madame_Pandora

Especially handy if you are trying to use two terms for almost the same thing, but just want them to differ ever so slightly ;-)

MP

 

[lilfrk]

It's there to make you ask: "What is with the"_"?"

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Well, 3 replies and I still don't....

understand. And, no, I am not joining any more cults. I already belong to the State Bar of Michigan. That's quite enough for me.

That reminds me of a story. Once, long ago, I was in a State liquor store in Ohio. I showed the guy my Bar card from Michigan when I went to pay to see if I could get a reaction from the clerk. He was blown away by it. He couldn't believe that I needed special I.D. in Michigan to buy booze. ( I am not making this up).

So, why the "_"?? Is it cool, or something??

Oh, Ms. Box, how ya feeling today? You must be feeling better in order to come up with that bogus explanation that you expected me to believe. And what's so bad about a blank space between words??

Is_this_the_way_things_look_in_
computer_land?? It would take me forever to type if it was.

blue

[Edited by FlamingoBlue on 01-04-2001 at 06:03 PM]

 

[Madame Pandora]

Sweet dirty little birdie...

You must understand, this underscore thingy comes from the ranks of our finest computer programmers. It is, honest to God....just a character used in place of a space because some early programs did not interpret a blank space. So if you wanted to say

How are your flightless wings today?

And not have it look like

Howareyourflightlesswingstoday?

You would type

How_are_your_flightless_wings_today?


I think you just ask questions so you can get us kiddies to listen to your stories about Ohio. If I promise to sit on your lap like a good girl, will you tell me another story, grandpa?

;-*

MP

 

[Ambrosious]

I don't know, I kind of like it.



Ambro"_"sious.

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Are you trying to tell me that they

did no have a space bar on early computer keyboards? Do you think I am as gullible as the clerk in that Ohio liquor store? Come on!

And negative about the lap sitting, pretty Pandora. I'm saving my story telling lap for my grandchilren, whenever they may appear.

blue


P.S. Ms. Box, that cutting crack about the flghtless wings did not go unnoticed.Thank goodness I took my you-can't-piss-me-off pill today.

You're not Bliss in disguise, are you? She would always refer to me as "Yardbird". I miss her.

 

[Madame Pandora]

Re: Are you trying to tell me that they

did no have a space bar on early computer keyboards?

They had space bars. Certain programs couldn't read 'em.

Do you think I am as gullible as the clerk in that Ohio liquor store? Come on!

As an amicus curiae I prefer not to answer this ;-)

And negative about the lap sitting, pretty Pandora. I'm saving my story telling lap for my grandchilren, whenever they may appear.

Can't even keep it warm for 'em? Meanie ;P

P.S. Ms. Box, that cutting crack about the flghtless wings did not go unnoticed.Thank goodness I took my you-can't-piss-me-off pill today.

Thank goodness indeed

You're not Bliss in disguise, are you?

I've been called that before...but I don't think that's what you mean....

She would always refer to me as "Yardbird". I miss her.

Can't help you there...but I'll call you "Mr. Clapton" if you like.

MP

 

[TN_Vixen]

I did it that way

because believe it or not, some people wouldn't separate the TNVixen out to understand the handle and I would have to explain it over and over. In another site I used the handle msblonde and people kept asking me how I liked Mississippi or just asked "what does the ms stand for?" So... there ya go.

p.s. Actually I'm a member of the secret LitBB cult. Only all the real pervies are allowed access.. *wink*

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Are you trying to tell me that they

did no have a space bar on early computer keyboards? Do you think I am as gullible as the clerk in that Ohio liquor store? Come on!

An example for you:

Here I'm Weird Harold. At EroticStories.com I'm Weird_Harold. I use the underscore there because there registration will only accept one name.

Some people use them everywhere so they don't have to remember which places they have one name, and which they have two (or more)

Computers have always recognized &20H (The number 32 in decimal) as a space, but not all programs written for comuters would allow a space in a data entry field. The convention of using an underscore to represent a space developed to get around the limitations of early programs.

 

[Madame Pandora]

What Harold said well is what I meant ;-)

MP

 

[Passionnee]

Weird Harold

He sure does have a lot of answers.

 

[funny_guy]

Some one got a problem with my name?

Did you ever wonder why there are no email addresses that are spelled "my name@email.com" ? Because computers can't handle that space--spaces mean that things are going onto the next part. Spaces have to be "escaped" either by using the ASCI code or, simply and graphically, by using the underscore. Sometimes, you can use a space online, but more often than not, you can't.

Ahh, never mind, WH told it better than I ever could.

 

[Weird Harold]

Because computers can't handle that space--spaces mean that things are going onto the next part.

I would say programs can't handle spaces, but you make a good point that I missed stating. In many programs, a space is considered a break between to data elements.

A space is not the only character that many programs have trouble with. Ampersands, commas, colons, plus signs, etc, have special meanings to many programs and can't be used in names.

 

[Madame Pandora]

Okay....so....

Isn't that what I said guys? ;P

MP

 

[Andra_Jenny]

I was going to answer, but so many hit the nail on the head. I have an underscore. It is a puzzle, a play on words, and an old habit. Its a computer thing.

 

[Mortto56]

So who gives a fuck about a underscore?

 

[Guest]

WHAT??

 

[FlamingoBlue]

That just goes goes show you....

how little I know about computers and computer programs. Thanks for the information folks. I feel so enlightened, now!!

blue

 

[Guest]

Re: I did it that way

 

[Unclebill]

Is it some sort of cult thing? I understand TN Vixen, but what's
TN_Vixen all about? And Slut_Boy and
What's_His _Name?? Help me out with this one, please.

blue

In certain environments, a space is not a valid character. For example, in DOS/Windows, a file name cannot contain a space without disastrous results. If you enter a file name containing a space, e. g., MY LIST.TXT, DOS assumes the file name ends when the space occurs yielding a file name of MY.TXT meaning the you'll never again access the file unless you poke around directly in the disk directory and change the space to another character. When you tell DOS to open MY LIST.TXT, is parses the entry to MY.TXT and since if a file by that name exists, that's what you get. If there's not a file by that name, you get the old 'file not found' error message.

In other environments, a space is interpreted as the end of a string of text, e. g., in an e-mail address. To segregate segments of an e-mail address so it sorta makes sense, the underscore character is used in lieu of the space which would make it unusable. For example, mine poted at Lit was uncle_bill@excite.com and the new one is john_galt76@yahoo.com (Yahoo gives me a bigger mailbox).

Newer file systems (Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000) all accept spaces as valid characters in filenames. I believe Macintosh and all GUI Apple computers since have always done that but I'm not an Apple afficianado so don't put too much faith in that guesstimate.