...history behind the @ symbol in email addresses?...

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Answer by The Best
Submitted on 3/27/2005
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Ray Tomlinson made this decision while writing e-mail programs. He needed a way to separate, in the e-mail address, the name of the user from the machine the user was on. How should that be denoted? He wanted a character that would not, under any circumstances, be found in the user's name. He looked down at the keyboard he was using, a Model 33 Teletype, which almost everyone else on the Net used, too. In addition to the letters and numerals there were about a dozen punctuation marks. "I got there first, so I got to choose any punctuation I wanted," Tomlinson said. "I chose the @ sign." The character also had the advantage of meaning "at" the designated institution. He had no idea he was creating an icon for the wired world.

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Question by Pat
Submitted on 9/25/2003
Related FAQ: Electronic Mail: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is the history behind the @ symbol in email addresses? Who was the inventor and what company did he work for?

Answer by bred
Submitted on 3/3/2004
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who put the @symbol in the email adresses

Answer by Tyrone
Submitted on 5/4/2004
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who put the @symbol in the email adresses

Answer by xsidx
Submitted on 10/13/2004
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you can find a ton of info here: http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/atsymbol.asp

Answer by bernadette
Submitted on 12/8/2004
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i dont know

Answer by steve
Submitted on 4/25/2005
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i don't know

Answer by T Bone
Submitted on 5/9/2005
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John Sweenie

Answer by clued out
Submitted on 6/3/2005
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im lookin for the answer!!!!!!

Answer by Tjea
Submitted on 7/13/2005
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I don't know

Answer by nena
Submitted on 9/23/2005
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giorgio stabile

Answer by umer
Submitted on 11/1/2005
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when I put down an a it becomes a 'thats why I cant create an e-mail adress

Answer by mk
Submitted on 12/1/2005
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Who put the @ symbol in email addresses?

Answer by max
Submitted on 12/13/2005
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your mom

Answer by David
Submitted on 12/16/2005
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people

Answer by maxtongal
Submitted on 2/6/2006
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tomlinsun put the @ symbol and it was choosing because to lauch the digital information revolution

Answer by sgsgsdhgs
Submitted on 10/4/2006
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ergasgaagargsdhgjhlko;tjethqwthhyk,il.ki,kujmjjnjgmk,l,8o9nhgnjmkloyyhopimhbfdsfb jm y mbnh hnj hndhn dhnn hn ghf gf f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f g gf h dhdhxfhd gfh hfgh h g hgfhdh fdghfghdfhdfghdfg hdfghdfghdfgh fghdgfh

Answer by i've got skittlez in my mouth want to taste the rainbow!!
Submitted on 3/13/2007
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who put the symbol in the email addresses?well can give you a web site you can find it on.http://homepage.mac.com/cohora/ext/email.html you will find it i sure did if you need to call and ask questions call my help line at 615 870 8540

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Answer by nana
Submitted on 5/24/2006
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i don know

Answer by ttasha
Submitted on 6/19/2006
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i was wondering the same thing

Answer by Kristyn
Submitted on 10/5/2006
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I like eggs.

Answer by shanay
Submitted on 10/9/2006
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Ronald Donaldson

Answer by efrg
Submitted on 2/21/2007
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sdfsdf

Answer by KRAZY
Submitted on 3/13/2007
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PRESIDENT BUSH

Answer by deertydishez
Submitted on 3/14/2007
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Thomas Edison, right before he created the invetion of 'Baseball'

Answer by bubbles
Submitted on 3/18/2007
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who put the @ @ in email addresses

Answer by kay
Submitted on 4/10/2007
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lex plotts

Answer by kendalyn
Submitted on 4/10/2007
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polar bears

Answer by Alexander the Great
Submitted on 4/12/2007
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The history behind the @ symbol is that it was created because it is simple to identify a message from your mail box. The inventor of the @ symbol is Tomlinson. He did not work for any company at that time.

Answer by shark
Submitted on 6/26/2007
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cufee1