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| A magic symbol that connects us to the world: why use the @ sign in email addresses |
Have you ever wondered what the @ symbol is in an email address? It may surprise you to know that this simple symbol carries a rich history that stretches back centuries.
The full story of the at sign (@);
Originally, the "@" symbol was used as a symbol for "arroba," a unit of measurement used in commercial transactions in the Middle Ages (around 1500). It represented the "quintal," a unit of measurement equivalent to four arrobas, which was the most common unit of measurement at that time.
Over time, the "@" symbol evolved into an abbreviation for the word "arroba."
Why do we use the at sign in email addresses?
At the end of the 19th century, the "@" symbol was incorporated into typewriter keyboards to facilitate the writing of business documents. In the computing world, the use of the "@" sign became more common to distinguish programming terms.
In the 1970s, computer scientist Ray Tomlinson assigned its use in email messages, where it helped separate the username from the domain name.
Today, the "@" symbol has become an indispensable icon in the world of electronic communication, connecting us to each other through email messages.
In 1971, when Ray Tomlinson first invented email, he faced a unique challenge: how to separate the sender's name from their location in email messages.
Tomlinson sought a unique symbol not used in computer language, and he chose the @ symbol, which was then used as an abbreviation for "arroba," a unit of measurement used in commercial transactions. He chose the @ symbol for email addresses because, at the time, the abbreviation "at" was not part of computer language.
Since then, the @ symbol has become an indispensable symbol in electronic communication. It is used to separate the username from the domain name in email addresses and to mention other users on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Tomlinson was the first to use the @ symbol in email messages. However, when it comes to language and keyboard design, this symbol is written in different ways, such as pressing "Alt" and the number 2 or "Alt" and the letter Q, depending on the operating system.
Today, we cannot do without the @ symbol, not only for sending emails. Twitter also uses the symbol to mention other users, and this practice has become a standard across various social networks like Facebook and Instagram.
Over time, the @ symbol has become an integral part of our daily online interactions, being present in millions of accounts across different social networks and email messages. This demonstrates how old ideas and technology remain relevant and used in our modern era.
