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Tom Johnson, following up on my message "N -at- ming
symbols? Just s -at- y no!", wondered <<You make a good
point... for printed material. What do you do when trying
to convey @ orally?>>
The same rules apply in speech as in writing: start by
knowing your audience. If I'm talking to a fellow nethead, I
just say "at" and trust that the meaning is clear. If I'm talking
to someone less net-literate, I say "the at _symbol_", and
hope that the word "symbol" makes the necessary connection.
And if I'm talking to someone who really has no knowledge
whatsoever, I say "the a with a circle around it; you can find it
over the 2 on most keyboards". Best of all, when you're
actually talking to someone, you can do something that's
impossible in print: watch for the look of incomprehension,
and repeat your message again in a different manner until
comprehension dawns. (Of course, unless you've got a
vidphone, you'll have to <ahem> look for other clues that
show whether the person understood you. That's an important
listening skill when you do tech support.)
