Re: The Cost of Relativity

From: Tom Potter (tdp_at_earthlink.net)
Date: 07/18/04 

Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 22:41:05 +0800

"Double-A" <double-a@hush.com> wrote in message
news:79094630.0407171807.625240e3@posting.google.com...
> "Tom Potter" <tdp@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:<2lt0rjFgf3viU10@uni-berlin.de>...
> > "Double-A" <double-a@hush.com> wrote in message
> > news:79094630.0407161600.3b22de70@posting.google.com...
> > > "Tom Potter" <tdp@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> > news:<2lpt9vFfda5jU3@uni-berlin.de>...
> > > [snip]
> > >
> > > > I used one of the first ck-722's point contact transistors
> > > > to make an electronic bug for the president of the bendix
Coporation,
> > > > and I sold for Hewlett-Packard, Fairchild and Texas Instruments,
> > > > and was privy their progress.
> > >
> > >
> > > An electronic bug?
> > >
> > > So who was the president of Bendix planning on bugging?
> > >
> > > The boardrooms of Hewlett-Packard, Fairchild and Texas Instruments???
> > >
> > > Did you therefore also assist in planting the bugs?
> > >
> > > "I will go out with my integrity intact." - Tom Potter
> > >
> > > Double-A
> >
> > Hopefully Double-A will explain why he perceives
> > that automating the sending of Morse Code,
> > compromises one's "integrity".
> >
> > As knowledgeable folks know,
> > a "bug" is a device that Ham Radio Operators
> > use for automating the sending of dots and dashes.
> >
> > The first "bugs" were electro-mechanical,
> > and depended upon a mechanically vibrating reed
> > to send a sequence of evenly spaced dots.
> >
> > The "bug" I built was one of the first transistorized "bugs".
> >
> > Of course, many people are ignorant about "bugs",
> > and about how semiconductors evolved,
> > and about the design and construction of the GPS system,
> > because they have had no first hand experience,
> > and have to rely on what they are conditioned to
> > by media, government and educational institutions.
>
> Morse code? Very quaint.
> I guess it still gets used.
> My question is WHY!
> Baudot code has been around since 1870.
> ASCII has been around for years.
> And we do have voice wireless now!
> If you were going to automate code transmission, why would you want to
> use Morse Code???
>
> Unless of course it's just still the best way to telegraph ahead to
> the next stationmaster when a run away steam engine is barreling down
> the track, or train robbers have been spotted in the area, or for
> letting everyone know that the Titanic is sinking!

I am pleased to see that Double-A
is beginning to comprehend that I have observed
the evolution of electronics, solid state devices, communications,
computers,
and coding strategies since the early 1950's,
from inside and close up,
so I don't have to believe the reconstructed histories
of the various people and groups,
who try to claim credit for the successes,
and to avoid blame for the failures.

Regarding Double-A's interest in knowing why
Ham radio operators and the military used Morse code,
it is because it was the fastest way
for English speaking human beings to
send and receive messages over long distances,
for example from ship to shore, or ship to ship.

For example, an "e",
which is the most used letter in the western alphabet,
is a single "dot", and an "i" which is often used
is a couple of "dots".

Letters like Q and Z which are rarely used have longer and
more complex codes.

"Q" = dash, dash, dot, dash
"Z" = dash, dash, dot, dot

To educate Double-A further,
baudot is a 5 bit code that was used in telegraph systems
( Machine to machine rather than man to man communications.).
Morse code was originally used in telegraph systems,
but I dare say that baudot replaced it,
because it is simpler for a machine to generate
and work with characters of a fixed length,
than it is to work with variable length characters.

Also, a fixed length digital code
allows a parity bit to be generated.

ASCII came about because the 5 bit Baudot code
could only generate 32 combinations,
and people wanted to store and communicate with more characters,
and use upper and lower case, etc. 

--
Tom Potter     http://home.earthlink.net/~tdp

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Cost of Relativity
    ... >> that automating the sending of Morse Code, ... >> use for automating the sending of dots and dashes. ... is a single "dot", and an "i" which is often used ... "Q" = dash, dash, dot, dash ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: Is the Curt net a kind of decision tree?
    ... The very simple problem of trying to tell Dot Dash ... decisions based on two separate pulse sources. ... always other pulses to compare to. ...
    (comp.ai.philosophy)
  • Re: Is the Curt net a kind of decision tree?
    ... The very simple problem of trying to tell Dot Dash ... decisions based on two separate pulse sources. ... it a history of its entire path through the net". ...
    (comp.ai.philosophy)
  • Re: Testing for the existence of a file
    ... > To handle this dot problem, perhaps you should rename all the items to ... > digits, underline or dash. ...
    (comp.lang.lisp)