tom haggen
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Subscript days are numbered?
It seems that everywhere, the influences of the internet can be felt. In the information age time can't be wasted on small details that can be
over looked. I've noticed that this site, as well as the E&W rarely use subscripts when writing chemical formulas. Is this a sign of things
to come? Or am I just being over zealous?
To tell you the truth I like the idea of no subscripts in chemistry, but I also like subscripts when I write them by hand.
N/A
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neutrino
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I personally see them more as a style thing than a necessity. I write them because they look neater than simple numbers. They’re not completely
necessary, as the information is there anyway. I don’t recall any instance where this issue caused a problem.
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Polverone
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They will be more common when richer text input systems become more common. Old-style BBS systems and Usenet didn't even support subscripts,
since they just did plain ASCII text. You can use subscripts on forums that have HTML or bbcode enabled, but it is a real pain. You end up
manipulating text strings like (CH[sub]3[/sub])[sub]2[/sub]SO[sub]4[/sub], and that's for a relatively small formula. In a system where you can
simply press a key combination to toggle subscripting, and you don't have to look at raw markup code, it's much easier.
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cyclonite4
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I like subscript/superscript myself, however I was, until now, unaware that it could be done here or at E&W. Basically it's just an aesthetic
thing on forums, as most people know what you mean by Na2CO3. But I guess it makes some formulas look dodgy (not using subscripts), mostly organics.
\"It is dangerous to be right, when your government is wrong.\" - Voltaire
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BromicAcid
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I really enjoy subscripts but occasionally when I use them in this board they actually appear as the XMB language and then they start sub scripting
things they shouldnt and such and they occasionally mess up if you have long strings of formulas like:
ClCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2&l
t;/sub>Cl +
HOCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2&l
t;/sub>OH ---->
(-OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2&
lt;/sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>OCH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>-)
Hummm....only messing up a little, maybe I'll start using subscripts again. Personally I like them.
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sparkgap
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Hmm... subscripts.
I don't think that the use of subscripts will be deprecated anytime soon. It's just that our current method of communication does not make
the entry of subscipts (inserting the "sub" HTML tags, that is) very convenient. However, once entry is facilitated, it would then seem
sloppy not to use them. Subscripts, I think are more of a convenient notation to distinguish numbers from their other uses in chemistry (as
coefficients, for instance).
sparky (^_^)
P.S. Now that neutrino has mentioned it, a button for subscripts and superscripts would be a welcome modification to the board! 
[Edited on 8-4-2005 by sparkgap]
"What's UTFSE? I keep hearing about it, but I can't be arsed to search for the answer..."
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neutrino
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Maybe people would start using them if there was a button on the reply screen that made them for you  Something like a smilie button should work nicely.
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Saerynide
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I can't be bothered to use em. I find myself forgetting to write them in school even 
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frogfot
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It's prettier with subscripts, though I don't use them on boards anymore because of lazyness. Would be nice to have some key combination
(?hot key) to make sub/sup scripts..
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