[Air-L] history of asterisks

[Brenda Danet]

Hi Jonna:

I think you're right that asterisks on IRC have something to do with 
the history of computers and programming. I would look up the Jargon 
File (many online versions), a huge compendium on hacker language and 
other practices, or the print version, Eric Raymond, The New Hackers' 
Dictionary (3rd ed. MIT Press, 1996), for excellent documentation 
about hacker practices. Just google Jargon File and you'll find lots of links.

For early (1991) examples of uses of asterisks and other forms of 
play with typography in IRC, see (if I may) chap. 3 of my Cyberpl at y: 
Communicating Online (Berg, 2001).

Brenda


Brenda Danet
Emerita, Sociology & Communication, Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem
Research Affiliate, Anthropology, Yale University
Home pages: http://pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il/~msdanet/
New book: The Multilingual Internet: Language, Culture and Communication Online
(co-edited with Susan C. Herring, Oxford Univ. Press, 2007)