[GreenKeys] Teletype "chat"

[Nico de Jong]

> Hello all,
>
> I have one rather historical question: Since when does teletype operator
> chat exist? I mean using the teleprinter in a talking fashion rather
> than as a "fax". Is there a protocol to follow, for example to indicate
> that the own statement is over? And please, any written evidence would
> be great!
>
Well, that's how I met my wife in 1968 :-)
I was employed by the dutch PTT in The Hague (Netherlands), and she in 
Copenhagen (Denmark). It was rather common to have europe-wide chats when 
there were no telegrams waiting, i.e. mainly during the night. There was no 
protocol; you typed as you spoke and gave the other part opportunities to 
answer.
I'm not sure you can find any "evidence"; when the bosses saw it, you 
could/would get an earful.
The problem was, that it was rather easy to intermix chat and telegrams. It 
happened to me once, while I was talking to the PTT office in Utrecht (also 
Netherlands). I was called on the red carpet, got a real earful and was 
almost sacked.
For the same reason, we had to glue to non-used parts of the gummed tape on 
a paper, so the boss could see that we hadn't overseen any telegrams. This 
was very useful when we e.g. received a telegram, and the originator made so 
many errors that he wanted to restart.

/Nico 


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