Question.

[conuly]

Why is it that, on my laptop, there's enough room for del to be written out full, as delete, but not enough room for ctrl to be written out control, or alt to be... what does alt stand for, anyway? Altruistic? Althiometer? Al's Takeout?

Yes, that was random.

Comments

[aquamizuko.livejournal.com]

Heh, funny.. :P On my keyboard it's control, but alt is..alt.

I think Alt stands for Alternate.

[hopefulnebula]

Alternate, methinks.

Heh. My backspace key has the whole word. And a nifty little arrow pointing left, because we all know that left is backwards.

[athanata.livejournal.com]

ja, 'alternate'

[athanata.livejournal.com]

oh - and hopefulnebula - i love your icon - it makes me want COOOOOKIES!

[hopefulnebula]

I'm glad you like it... was my first animated icon.

[the-turtle-girl.livejournal.com]

Because the evil computer people don't want you to have these things that you desire. They are in control, they call the shots. ;)

[rachelkachel]

Or in ctrl, as the case may be. ;)

[the-turtle-girl.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I'd be tempted to say that Ctrl and Alt and Esc are kept short because in on-screen instructions they'd be written that way. And may Del-Delete isn't so hard for people to grasp.

[rho]

That sounds possible. I've also never, ever heard anyone refer to the "capitals lock" key, probably for much the same reason.

It is rather amusing though. My keyboard can fit "Print Screen Sys Rq" onto a single tiny key, but doesn't put anything more than "Ctrl" on one twice the size.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

My keyboard obviously isn't as cool as yours - I have only "Prnt Scrn SysRq"

Maybe that's how netspeak started...

Am I imagining things, or did keyboards ten years ago put "Print" instead of "Print Screen" or "Prnt Scrn"

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

heh. i get prtscrn

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

My prtscn sysrq key is as big as my ctrl keys.

Thats what I get for buying a microsoft keyboard.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

an why don't they mark the space button? EVERY other button is marked, but the biggest button is blank damn it!

[aquamizuko.livejournal.com]

Heh, funny.. :P On my keyboard it's control, but alt is..alt.

I think Alt stands for Alternate.

[hopefulnebula]

Alternate, methinks.

Heh. My backspace key has the whole word. And a nifty little arrow pointing left, because we all know that left is backwards.

[athanata.livejournal.com]

ja, 'alternate'

[athanata.livejournal.com]

oh - and hopefulnebula - i love your icon - it makes me want COOOOOKIES!

[hopefulnebula]

I'm glad you like it... was my first animated icon.

[the-turtle-girl.livejournal.com]

Because the evil computer people don't want you to have these things that you desire. They are in control, they call the shots. ;)

[rachelkachel]

Or in ctrl, as the case may be. ;)

[the-turtle-girl.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I'd be tempted to say that Ctrl and Alt and Esc are kept short because in on-screen instructions they'd be written that way. And may Del-Delete isn't so hard for people to grasp.

[rho]

That sounds possible. I've also never, ever heard anyone refer to the "capitals lock" key, probably for much the same reason.

It is rather amusing though. My keyboard can fit "Print Screen Sys Rq" onto a single tiny key, but doesn't put anything more than "Ctrl" on one twice the size.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

My keyboard obviously isn't as cool as yours - I have only "Prnt Scrn SysRq"

Maybe that's how netspeak started...

Am I imagining things, or did keyboards ten years ago put "Print" instead of "Print Screen" or "Prnt Scrn"

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

heh. i get prtscrn

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

My prtscn sysrq key is as big as my ctrl keys.

Thats what I get for buying a microsoft keyboard.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

an why don't they mark the space button? EVERY other button is marked, but the biggest button is blank damn it!