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TAKE TEN POINTS POINTS FOR A GOOD ANSWER

2006-08-06 00:50:35 · 33 answers · asked by shaun 2 in Computers & Internet Internet

33 answers

The at sign (@), which is shorthand for the word "at," has become widely identified around the world due to its use in Internet e-mail addresses. Officially known as an "asperand," the at sign separates the recipient's name from the domain name; for example, jsmith@abc.com. In 1971, Ray Tomlinson of Bolt Beranek and Newman chose the @ sign as a separator symbol for one of the first e-mail systems. See Internet address.

2006-08-06 00:57:46 · answer #1 · answered by Tahavath 5 · 0 0

The @ symbol (pronounced in English as the word "at") has the official name "commercial at" under the ANSI/CCITT/Unicode character systems. It is often referred to informally as the "at symbol", the "at sign", or just "at".

The origin of the symbol is debated, but is most likely a cursive form of ā, or possibly à (the French word for "at"). It was most commonly used as an abbreviation in accounting and commercial invoices, in statements such as "7 widgets @ £2 ea. = £14". More recently, the @ symbol has become ubiquitous due to its use in email addresses.

2006-08-06 01:01:16 · answer #2 · answered by Ben H 1 · 0 0

The @ symbol (pronounced in English as the word "at") has the official name "commercial at" under the ANSI/CCITT/Unicode character systems. It is often referred to informally as the "at symbol", the "at sign", or just "at".

The origin of the symbol is debated, but is most likely a cursive form of ā, or possibly à (the French word for "at"). It was most commonly used as an abbreviation in accounting and commercial invoices, in statements such as "7 widgets @ £2 ea. = £14". More recently, the @ symbol has become ubiquitous due to its use in email addresses.

2006-08-06 00:55:32 · answer #3 · answered by me 2 · 0 0

It is the "at" symbol. In an email, it denotes which email carrier the address is through. First comes the user name, then the "at" symbol, immediately followed by the email carrier(domain) name.

Example:
ronaldmcdonald@hotmail.com
ronaldmcdonald is the user name
@ or "at" lets the system know the domain name is next
hotmail is the domain name

2006-08-06 00:56:48 · answer #4 · answered by Sebring Sage 5 · 0 0

It is pronounced "at" and separates the user name from the domain name.
For example, there are thousands of hotmail.com users but only one mynamehere@hotmail.com
It also makes the line recognisable as an e-mail address, mynamehere.hotmail.com could be a website and would confuse the computer.

Note: mynamehere@hotmail.com is NOT my e-mail address, nor is it the address of anyone I know, it is just an example.

2006-08-06 00:57:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

The @ symbol stands for "at".

So your email address basically contains 2 parts.

The addressee, and the domain.

eg fred@example.com

There are normally many people who have accounts at example.com, the @ tells the system to send the email to example.com, and then example.com deliver's it to fred's mailbox.

2006-08-06 00:56:50 · answer #6 · answered by ◄ Mal ► 3 · 0 0

I would have to agree with BR that it is shorthand for at-however I have seen it used in paragraph to mean for example. But in an email I would say it stands for "at".

2006-08-06 01:01:26 · answer #7 · answered by catmanchoo 1 · 0 0

is actually means AT and it seperates the username with the domain
eg
username@yahoo.com.
here username is seperated by yahoo by using @.

It is called 'at' because when we send a mail its first comes to the domain server ie at yahoo and the at yahoo it gets sorted out and is then sent to the particular username.
Hope u have understood me.

2006-08-06 01:00:22 · answer #8 · answered by Pra 2 · 0 0

That is the ampersand symbol and has always stood for at. It is shorthand.

2006-08-06 00:55:03 · answer #9 · answered by B R 4 · 0 0

it's at... when you click shift and the number 2 on most keyboards. it means suchandsuchathotmail.com for example.

2006-08-06 00:55:30 · answer #10 · answered by christina s 3 · 0 0

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