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Computing History & Legendary BugsInternet History

Why Email Uses @

The first email's sender picked the one key nobody used

You type @ in every email address without thinking. Why that squiggle, and not a dot, a dash or a word?

You'll find out

  • Where email went before 1971
  • What makes a good divider
  • What other countries call @

Why it matters

Every address you type still follows one small choice from 1971: a lesson in naming things well.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 209 · Zone 24

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