Origins of the term 'WYSIWYG?

allison ajp166 at verizon.net
Mon Jan 16 13:14:31 CST 2017


On 1/16/17 1:48 PM, william degnan wrote:
> Maybe Ted Nelson used the term to refer to computing specifically in late
> 1960s or within Dream Machines?
> b
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 16, 2017 at 1:36 PM, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
>
>> Yes, but the actual phrase comes from the Flip Wilson show
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flip_Wilson_Show
>>
>>
>> On 1/16/17 10:25 AM, Tony Duell wrote:
>>
>>> I wonder what predates that usage (if anything)
>>>
>>
First time I heard wizzywhig (wysiwyg pronounced) was at DEC in the 
early 80s in the context
of terminals (less than 100dpi then) and printers (greater than 300dpi) 
and typset quality documents
and images.


FYI the same group of us used WYGINS  (wiginns, what you get is no 
surprize) to refer to
printing what you meant vs what you see.

In both terms the spoken references are old but the acronyms were newer 
with their own unique
pronunciation.

My favorite was WYPI-WYGO for virtual connections that simulated wires. 
Wippy-whygo was
what you put in will be what you get out.    Sorta like GIGO save for 
its for valid stuff in will
always be the exact valid stuff out.

DEC was a haven for acronyms and even had an internal guide for those in 
use by group or system.
BTDT HTS, been there did that have the t-shirt.

Allison


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