Sorry for the OT. I see a number of coders refer to the curly brackets { } as parentheses. But according to Wikipedia parentheses are "either of the ( ) punctuation marks that together make a set of parentheses". It does not say that curly brackets are parentheses. Is this correct?

Parentheses are non-curly brackets. Curly brackets are... err... curly brackets or braces I guess.

I feel comfortable enough to correct coders who call them parentheses now, thanks!

( = Parenthesis
{ = Brace
[ = Bracket
< = Angle Bracket

There's no such thing as curly brackets, though we all use it. :)

Next, they'll be insisting that "cc" means "carbon copy"...

Quote: Original post by Rubicon
Next, they'll be insisting that "cc" means "carbon copy"...

What does it stand for, then, if not carbon copy (and bcc standing for "blind carbon copy")? Admittedly the term is a little anachronistic when dealing with email, but so is clicking a floppy disk icon to save files.

Quote: Original post by benryves
What does it stand for, then, if not carbon copy (and bcc standing for "blind carbon copy")?

"Cubic centimeter," if you're a doctor. "Credit card" perhaps? I'm sure that if you typed "CC" into an acronym search engine you'd get a gigantic list of obscure usages.

It's a battle I always lose, hence the tongue-in-cheek ellipsis. I'm bloody well right though! <stamps foot> :)

In the days before e-mail, paper documents that were carbon copied and sent to various people had a "current circulation" heading so you know who else is reading. Or in the case of confidential documents, who's privvy and who isn't. This was usually abbreviated to "cc"

It's probably also where the postal word "circular" comes from. There's no circle involved after all, it's just that spam snail mail is a document with a gigantic current circulation.

But even this is an Anglicisation from the latin phrase that was used in a bygone age. I think it was something like circulus circularum.

I've fought the brave fight over this stupidity for many a year, and quite the most depressing thing about having to admit defeat each time is that the "winners" cite an entry in wikipedia, like that's the last word on anything and everything. :)

I could easily accept that "carbon copy" is an almost suitable modernisation/replacement if it wasn't that email doesn't now, nor ever did, require carbon to make copies.

Quote: Original post by Rubicon
It's a battle I always lose, hence the tongue-in-cheek ellipsis. I'm bloody well right though! <stamps foot> :)

In the days before e-mail, paper documents that were carbon copied and sent to various people had a "current circulation" heading so you know who else is reading. Or in the case of confidential documents, who's privvy and who isn't. This was usually abbreviated to "cc"

It's probably also where the postal word "circular" comes from. There's no circle involved after all, it's just that spam snail mail is a document with a gigantic current circulation.

But even this is an Anglicisation from the latin phrase that was used in a bygone age. I think it was something like circulus circularum.

I've fought the brave fight over this stupidity for many a year, and quite the most depressing thing about having to admit defeat each time is that the "winners" cite an entry in wikipedia, like that's the last word on anything and everything. :)

I could easily accept that "carbon copy" is an almost suitable modernisation/replacement if it wasn't that email doesn't now, nor ever did, require carbon to make copies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_copy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_carbon_copy

I believe, sir, that we win. Wikipedia has spoken, let us think no further on the matter. I also believe the common phrase "history is written by the winners" is appropriate here.

;) (I am, of course, being facetious)

[Edited by - M2tM on June 17, 2010 6:18:06 PM]

Quote: Original post by Rubicon
I've fought the brave fight over this stupidity for many a year, and quite the most depressing thing about having to admit defeat each time is that the "winners" cite an entry in wikipedia, like that's the last word on anything and everything. :)

How about the original ArpaNet text message standard? That's the precursor to actual email so it's pretty authoritative. Although 'cc' is left unexplained, 'bcc' clearly has the comment 'blind carbon'.

Quote: Original post by benryves

Quote: Original post by Rubicon
Next, they'll be insisting that "cc" means "carbon copy"...

What does it stand for, then, if not carbon copy (and bcc standing for "blind carbon copy")?

C Compiler! Duh.