Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ncis.tis.llnl.gov!cwi.nl!piet
From: piet@cwi.nl (Piet Beertema)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.iso.x400
Subject: Re: concise format
Message-ID: <8911061641.AA01575@sering.cwi.nl>
Date: 6 Nov 89 16:41:11 GMT
References: <8911060814.AA08384@jerry.inria.fr>
Sender: root@ncis.tis.llnl.gov
Distribution: inet
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 26
Approved: post-x400@tis.llnl.gov


	SITA carries messages all over the world for the airlines
	companies, and a message looks like:

	destinations(to)|QAZZTYC ZTMNOOQ
	source + ref	|.PARPCXS 123456
	STX		|
	text		|<and here comes the text>
	ETX		|

	The fact that it is widely used seems to indicate that users
	can cope with ``abstract addresses'', 7 letters in this case... 

Nice example, Christian, but not a good one in this context:
in any particular environment (e.g. in the world of airline
companies) certain abbreviations or mnemonics are meaningful
and they show up in almost each and every application there.
Under such circumstances users will learn quickly to cope
with what you refer to as "abstract addresses", but which
in their environment are composed of very meaningful elements.
The "concise format" on the other hand was meant to be used
universally, by people from vastly different "environments".
And there Vint's example and conclusion do indeed apply.


	Piet