From: Kenneth Whistler (kenw@sybase.com)
Date: Thu Jan 08 2009 - 14:23:12 CST
Hans Aberg suggested:
> There are
> U+216D WHITE UP POINTING INDEX
> U+216F WHITE DOWN POINTING INDEX
> on my computer. represented as hand with an index finger pointing up/
> down.
The pedant in me wishes to point out (not up or down) that
U+216D and U+216F are the ROMAN NUMERAL ONE HUNDRED and
ROMAN NUMERAL ONE THOUSAND characters, respectively. While
perhaps relevant to what we do or don't know about what
the Romans did, I supect that what Hans had in mind was
instead U+261D and U+261F.
So a big:
> WHITE DOWN POINTING THUMB
for the message QA.
> Counting that right/left hands can be used, as well showing front/
> back, and four directions, two colors white/black, there are
> 2^5*2*2*4*2 = 1024 hand characters.
Ah, but this proposal neglects to note that in addition to
the 2^5 combinations required to represent all possible combinations
of finger extensions for a human hand, some provision needs to
be made for lateral finger contact versus separation. Otherwise, there
is no way to distinguish:
WHITE UP-POINTING PALM OUTWARD ALL FINGERS EXTENDED RIGHT HAND
from
HALT SIGN
or from
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER SIGN
Nor would this proposal pass muster for its potential discrimination
against those born with a sixth digit -- or for that matter,
those having lost a digit due to unfortunate accident.
Furthermore, I see the need for combinations or control functions
to indicate hand orientations involving tip-to-tip articulation
between thumb and fingers. Otherwise, there is no way to
represent:
A-OK SIGN / MONEY SIGN / BRAZILIAN WELL WE WONT GO THERE SIGN
--Ken
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