Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!killer!netsys!vector!nobody
From: minow%thundr.DEC@decwrl.dec.com (Repent! Godot is coming soon! Repent!)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: re: Octothorpe source
Message-ID: 
Date: 28 Nov 88 14:17:00 GMT
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X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 8, issue 187, message 2

According to legend, "octothorpe" is a name that the Bell people made
up for the # on the telephone keypad.  I suspect that they couldn't
agree as to whether it was a "pound sign", "sharp", or "number sign"
and eventually compromised (making everyone equally miserable).

Martin Minow
minow%thundr.dec@decwrl.dec.com

[Moderator's question: I am wondering if our correspondent is related to
Newton Minow, well known FCC executive. Just curious. P. Townson]