4 ms·

Scanning quickly through I found this one: ℻ (https://unicode-table.com/en/213B/ https://unicode-table.com/en/213B/). Apparently it's semantically fac·sim·i·le

Scanning quickly through I found this one: ℻ (https://unicode-table.com/en/213B/ https://unicode-table.com/en/213B/). Apparently it's semantically fac·sim·i·le. Which means (according to Google) "an exact copy, especially of written or printed material." My argument is something like, why not just write FAX. Or is the counter that some fonts will specialize this character to something closer to the native language? That seems unlikely, and instead people will probably learn that FAX means "to make alike", from Latin. Or is it that we need to make it just a little bit above the baseline to indicate that it's special. Surely "FAX" isn't the only thing that should be allowed to be special, right? But then that's a whole can of worms. Anyway, I'm rambling... This was the best I could do in the limited time I had (I really should be asleep by now).

mongol 7y ago
I assume it was intended to indicate after a telephone number that a telefax was connected to it. For example when writing contact details on a business card.
- flomo 7y ago
  Probably right on the rationale, but I cannot remember anyone using FAX as a symbol. But, not the only obsolete bit of technology in Unicode though.
ksaj 7y ago
It is in regards to a facsimile machine, its operation, and the output from it. FAX doesn't refer to every meaning of facsimile out there. https://www.google.ca/search?q=define%3Afacsimile+machine https://www.google.ca/search?q=define%3Afacsimile+machine "a device that can send or receive pictures and text over a telephone line." This search is more appropriate.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
kuschku 7y ago
On business cards, in letters, etc you write your phone numbers. Usually as TEL 0123 45 67 89 FAX 0123 45 67 89-0 the "TEL" and "FAX" part should be superscript small capitals though. That's there these special symbols come in. Some fonts also replace those with icons for phone/fax. They're actually still in use in Germany today.
- cyxxon 7y ago
  Well, fax machines are still in use here (most notably in mdeical offices, it seams), but superscript abbreviations? Never seen them in the last 40 years. I mean, yes, I have seen the letters FAX or TEL in front of the number, but never really explicitely as a new character (AFAI can tell). This would also fit best with the experience that people crafting cards or letterheads never really know all the intricacies of Word, or Unicode, or whatever they use, and just "make it look good" - use tabstops instead of tables, simply type FAX and mark it as superscript, etc...
  - kuschku 7y ago
    > This would also fit best with the experience that people crafting cards or letterheads never really know all the intricacies of Word, or Unicode, or whatever they use, and just "make it look good" - use tabstops instead of tables, simply type FAX and mark it as superscript, etc... I mean, that’s widely known anyway. Look at most letterhead templates online, pretty much all of them are broken and quite painful in the way they’re built. Broken tables, tabstops, all combined painfully. Often enough proper tables would simplify a lot, if combined with columns one can create amazing things. If one even adds automated hide/unhide elements (e.g. page count, automated Internetmarke or hiding it if unused, etc) one can create stuff that’d save hours of work every day.
- mschuster91 7y ago
  Not just in Germany (where they are a legally accepted alternative to postal letters, which is a significant difference to emails!), also in Japan: https://www.noted.co.nz/money/money-business/japan-has-a-bizarre-fascination-with-the-fax-machine https://www.noted.co.nz/money/money-business/japan-has-a-biz...
amyjess 7y ago
Most likely, some legacy character set had a ℻ character, so Unicode had to include it for compatibility reasons.

mongol 7y ago

I assume it was intended to indicate after a telephone number that a telefax was connected to it. For example when writing contact details on a business card.

flomo 7y ago
Probably right on the rationale, but I cannot remember anyone using FAX as a symbol. But, not the only obsolete bit of technology in Unicode though.

ksaj 7y ago

It is in regards to a facsimile machine, its operation, and the output from it. FAX doesn't refer to every meaning of facsimile out there. https://www.google.ca/search?q=define%3Afacsimile+machine https://www.google.ca/search?q=define%3Afacsimile+machine "a device that can send or receive pictures and text over a telephone line." This search is more appropriate.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

kuschku 7y ago

On business cards, in letters, etc you write your phone numbers. Usually as TEL 0123 45 67 89 FAX 0123 45 67 89-0 the "TEL" and "FAX" part should be superscript small capitals though. That's there these special symbols come in. Some fonts also replace those with icons for phone/fax. They're actually still in use in Germany today.

cyxxon 7y ago
Well, fax machines are still in use here (most notably in mdeical offices, it seams), but superscript abbreviations? Never seen them in the last 40 years. I mean, yes, I have seen the letters FAX or TEL in front of the number, but never really explicitely as a new character (AFAI can tell). This would also fit best with the experience that people crafting cards or letterheads never really know all the intricacies of Word, or Unicode, or whatever they use, and just "make it look good" - use tabstops instead of tables, simply type FAX and mark it as superscript, etc...
- kuschku 7y ago
  > This would also fit best with the experience that people crafting cards or letterheads never really know all the intricacies of Word, or Unicode, or whatever they use, and just "make it look good" - use tabstops instead of tables, simply type FAX and mark it as superscript, etc... I mean, that’s widely known anyway. Look at most letterhead templates online, pretty much all of them are broken and quite painful in the way they’re built. Broken tables, tabstops, all combined painfully. Often enough proper tables would simplify a lot, if combined with columns one can create amazing things. If one even adds automated hide/unhide elements (e.g. page count, automated Internetmarke or hiding it if unused, etc) one can create stuff that’d save hours of work every day.
mschuster91 7y ago
Not just in Germany (where they are a legally accepted alternative to postal letters, which is a significant difference to emails!), also in Japan: https://www.noted.co.nz/money/money-business/japan-has-a-bizarre-fascination-with-the-fax-machine https://www.noted.co.nz/money/money-business/japan-has-a-biz...

amyjess 7y ago

Most likely, some legacy character set had a ℻ character, so Unicode had to include it for compatibility reasons.