Equestria has a "binary" language.

[I_wesley125 393]

If you look at http://www.youtube.c...R2qE8eQk#t=293s you can see the type-writers have 2 keys, that would lead one to believe that the primary for of written language in Equestria is some sort of binary.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Rainbow--Dash

[Klopp 2,050]

Never add a topic about the latest Episode without adding a [spoiler!] tag in the title. Some people who have not yet seen it might be inclined to add you to their hit-list.

[I_wesley125 393]

Never add a topic about the latest Episode without adding a [spoiler!] tag in the title. Some people who have not yet seen it might be inclined to add you to their hit-list.

 

Sorry, forgot.

[Slictz 110]

Well there's two options to that, It's either Binary or Morse code.

I'm leaning more over to morse personally because writing the newpaper articles in binary would take a very long time.

Reddit discussed this on saturday/sunday too:

http://i.imgur.com/wqU7d.jpg

 

And here's a better image to let people know what we're discussing:

[Faithful Dawn 8]

Equestria's language... Morse Code is the closest language I can imagine, just like Slictz says. Does this mean Ponies are expert at reading Morse code?

 

According to Slictz's Pic, there's 3 Button, the bottom one looks like a spacebar.....

 

Poor ponies to have hoof rather than fingers

[Klopp 2,050]

Reddit discussed this on saturday/sunday too:

http://i.imgur.com/wqU7d.jpg

 

Yeah, Morse is a good way to go, that's for sure. But Morse code IS technically a Binary language, so the theory here does still apply. I don't believe the way it is described in that image is good though. A pony would be able to understand binary, I'm sure, but the machine would not in that particular setup. All it would read is dots and dashes, and not know when to separate them as individual letters.

 

A better theory would be to assume that one button is used to input the codes, a single press for dot and hold it down longer for dash, of course while the other button would be used to tell the machine that the letter was complete, and to slap it onto the paper. Then pressing the second button, without hitting the first prior, would cause a space between words. Then the third button could be used as an enter key, to move to the next line.

 

Well that was fun. The last of my brain power used to compile a theory on how a ponies three-button typewriter would work... I should have been in bed already

 

Poor ponies to have hoof rather than fingers

 

While hooves are certainly at a disadvantage to our hands, the ponies are born with them, and easily learn to adapt with hooves. Since it has been a part of their lifestyle for over a millennium, they do not care one bit about not having hands.

[PlNKlE PIE 364]

Wouldn't it be more efficient for unicorns to use full-fledged typewriters by utilizing magic?

Edited April 2, 2012 by Pinkie Pie

[Sheogorath 1,155]

Here is what I think this is. The Pony writing system may have several fonts that they have glyphed out via mouth writing and magical penmanship, but the typewriter is a Sequence recording device. The third bar at the bottom is the sequence separator, and the two buttons in the keyboard are on and off markers that then select the right glyph from the selections of glyphs placed into the machine with the use of a X and Y coordinates, this then cycles syllable like letters like in Japanese where one letter can represent sounds like "ken" in one letter. Then with a good coordinated composition of such glyphs in the machine you can with maximum of 4 clicks of a key write a word even 8-9 letters long. Use separation bar and then reset the grid and enter a space. Also marks like Exclamation, question mark and dot among others are easy then to place into the grid for fast access in the "ends" of the grid.

[Forlong 1,726]

It was probably done as a joke. I mean, how are ponies supposed to use one of our typewriters?

[Keypassion 232]

It was probably done as a joke. I mean, how are ponies supposed to use one of our typewriters?

 

With great difficulty.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

It was probably done as a joke. I mean, how are ponies supposed to use one of our typewriters?

 

Really big keyboards!

I wrote a story once where a genetically altered dog used a keyboard large enough so he could use his paws to hunt and peck at it. I had him writing at about a ten year old's level of comprehension, and his favorite show was Dr. Who!

Edited April 2, 2012 by cuteycindyhoney

[Thewookie Wooker 64]

They are morse code experts, they are slowly moving toward enigma coding though.

[Key Gear 6,663]

I have been learning morse code recently (don't ask why), and when I saw that keyboard I immediately thought of morse code. The three button typewriters that they are using are actually perfect for morse code.

 

The reason for this is that morse code has three essential parts - the dot, the dash, and the spaces between the letters and words. The pony typewriter has two buttons and what looks like a space bar - it is perfect.

 

In morse code, a space is basically when you don't send a signal for a certain amount of time. The exact amount of time that you wait is the equivalent of 3 dots for space between letters and it is the equivalent of 7 dots for space between words.

 

(Well, you will also want to seperate individual characters by the space equivalent to one dot, but that kind of goes without saying.)

 

So, here is Hello World in morse code:

 

....   .   .-..   .-..   ---	   .--   ---   .-.   .-..   -..

Or, if you just want to use one space for between letters and two spaces between words (this is the best way to type morse code out):

 

.... . .-.. .-.. ---  .-- --- .-. .-.. -..  

Or, if you prefer a more visual representation:

 

 

Or, if you would like to just listen to it:

 

helloworld.mp3

 

(Note, it can be really hard to hear the spaces, even at a speed of just 8 wpm.)

 

I think that it is quite possible that the typewriters were morse code typewriters. Of course, this could just be my own wishful thinking (I think morse code is super-cool). Of course, something like Pencils suggested above could also be feasible, but I have no idea what that actually is (might be my empty stomach talking)....

 

As a side note, I am both pleased and slightly disturbed by the possibility that there are morse code computers somewhere in Equestria......

 

(Hey, if they have typewriters, then it could be possible.)

 

Edit: Added a mp3 of the sound, and I'm so hungry right now that I completely forgot the point of this exercise.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Scootacool

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

Here is what I think this is. The Pony writing system may have several fonts that they have glyphed out via mouth writing and magical penmanship, but the typewriter is a Sequence recording device. The third bar at the bottom is the sequence separator, and the two buttons in the keyboard are on and off markers that then select the right glyph from the selections of glyphs placed into the machine with the use of a X and Y coordinates, this then cycles syllable like letters like in Japanese where one letter can represent sounds like "ken" in one letter. Then with a good coordinated composition of such glyphs in the machine you can with maximum of 4 clicks of a key write a word even 8-9 letters long. Use separation bar and then reset the grid and enter a space. Also marks like Exclamation, question mark and dot among others are easy then to place into the grid for fast access in the "ends" of the grid.

 

I was going to respond to this thread with the explanation I cooked up about how the large buttons actually have many smaller buttons along the sides and the ponies rotate their hooves around the big button to push down on the one they wish to select, but this makes a lot more sense and seems a lot easier to use...definitely rather different from our own kind of typewriter, but regardless of the method our kind of typewriter would just be impractically large. Not to mention it'd probably be too difficult to type on that sort of typewriter even if the keys were all sized for hooves, because unlike human fingers, hooves don't have quite the same level of...dexterity. It'd be like trying to type with only two fingers.

[Ganaram Inukshuk 3,682]

Uhh,...

 

If this were to escalate into actual computing,... ASCII, anypony? Or "ESCII"...? Equestrian Standard Code for Information Interchange...?

 

LSS, ASCII utilises binary and each character is represented by eight bits. Trickier than Morse code, but more uniform.

Edited April 2, 2012 by GDO29AnaDERP

[Twilight Sparkle ✨ 8,526]

Did any of you hear about Gmail Tap? It looks absolutely identical to Equestria's typewriters - two buttons and a spacebar, which input characters using Morse code. Here's a video:

 

 

Pay close attention - it is said in the video that this feature would benefit users with fat fingers the most. In a way, a hoof is like the fattest possible "finger" you can have.

 

Gmail Tap is actually one of Google's April Fool's jokes this year, but incidentally, it was revealed within hours of episode 23's airing.

[Aureity 3,055]

Ahahaha! I feel sorry for those poor schoolfillies when they have to write essays... X3

[Squeaker 89]

Really big keyboards!

I wrote a story once where a genetically altered dog used a keyboard large enough so he could use his paws to hunt and peck at it. I had him writing at about a ten year old's level of comprehension, and his favorite show was Dr. Who!

 

I'd read that!

I'm not quite sure what is meant by binary language, though. I did see that some of their letters face the opposite way, and certain words seem to be spelled slightly differently than ours though. (We have already heard them say AJ and RD)

Look:

And the morse code thing sounds good to me.

***Edit: Upon closer inspection, some words face the opposite way. I'm not sure I have an explanation. X3 Perhaps some of it has to do with the fact that children are writing it? LOL

Edited April 3, 2012 by Squeaker

[Ra1nbowCrasH 272]

Here is what I think this is. The Pony writing system may have several fonts that they have glyphed out via mouth writing and magical penmanship, but the typewriter is a Sequence recording device. The third bar at the bottom is the sequence separator, and the two buttons in the keyboard are on and off markers that then select the right glyph from the selections of glyphs placed into the machine with the use of a X and Y coordinates, this then cycles syllable like letters like in Japanese where one letter can represent sounds like "ken" in one letter. Then with a good coordinated composition of such glyphs in the machine you can with maximum of 4 clicks of a key write a word even 8-9 letters long. Use separation bar and then reset the grid and enter a space. Also marks like Exclamation, question mark and dot among others are easy then to place into the grid for fast access in the "ends" of the grid.

 

What?

[Sheogorath 1,155]

What?

 

If you do not understand, then move on.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

I'd read that!

 

Opps, I misread that for a second. Sorry, I can't post a link or anything. It's not what I'd call family friendly!

Edited April 3, 2012 by cuteycindyhoney

[Squeaker 89]

Opps, I misread that for a second. Sorry, I can't post a link or anything. It's not what I'd call family friendly!

 

I'm over 18 and every thing! D:< But fine. XD

[Krall 263]

Well there's two options to that, It's either Binary or Morse code.

I'm leaning more over to morse personally because writing the newpaper articles in binary would take a very long time.

Reddit discussed this on saturday/sunday too:

http://i.imgur.com/wqU7d.jpg

 

And here's a better image to let people know what we're discussing:

 

If it was Morse code, or Morse code-like, then surely they'd only need one key? That's how Morse code works - it's based off the length of the key press, not which key you press. It could be that each letter is encoded to some combination of button presses, so one button could be labeled "0" and the other "1", and the letter "a" would correspond to button presses equivalent to "0001" or something similar, but I believe that's roughly what the OP was implying when they said that the language was "binary".

 

If you do not understand, then move on.

 

That's somewhat arrogant of you, Pencils; I consider myself an intelligent person, yet I cannot fathom the exact nature of what you were saying. I think you said that each symbol was assigned an X and a Y value, as though laid out on a grid, and that one of the large buttons cycles through the X values and the other button cycles through the Y values, but I don't really understand how this would make it easy to write a word of 8 or 9 letters with only 4 button presses, and I don't understand what the "spacebar" would be for in this system.

 

 

The opinion of some of my pony loving fellows over on another forum seems to be that the the two large buttons can each produce several symbols by pushing them to the sides or corners, as opposed to merely pushing them downwards. I'm not sure this is in keeping with how they were used in the show, but it's certainly the most practical way of typing with large, single-digit feet that I can think of!

[Sheogorath 1,155]

If it was Morse code, or Morse code-like, then surely they'd only need one key? That's how Morse code works - it's based off the length of the key press, not which key you press. It could be that each letter is encoded to some combination of button presses, so one button could be labeled "0" and the other "1", and the letter "a" would correspond to button presses equivalent to "0001" or something similar, but I believe that's roughly what the OP was implying when they said that the language was "binary".

 

 

 

That's somewhat arrogant of you, Pencils; I consider myself an intelligent person, yet I cannot fathom the exact nature of what you were saying. I think you said that each symbol was assigned an X and a Y value, as though laid out on a grid, and that one of the large buttons cycles through the X values and the other button cycles through the Y values, but I don't really understand how this would make it easy to write a word of 8 or 9 letters with only 4 button presses, and I don't understand what the "spacebar" would be for in this system.

 

 

The opinion of some of my pony loving fellows over on another forum seems to be that the the two large buttons can each produce several symbols by pushing them to the sides or corners, as opposed to merely pushing them downwards. I'm not sure this is in keeping with how they were used in the show, but it's certainly the most practical way of typing with large, single-digit feet that I can think of!

 

Arrogance here was on other hoof, a single "what" is not a sufficient question to offer clarification to, to me that only speaks of blatant neglect of proper discourse and therefore not worthy of a response.

 

And here is then a graph of what I assume to be the basis for pony typewriter since YOU articulated your own problem of understanding the system I described.

As you see in this system you need to press enter twice to get a space, and then if you press any key in between you get a syllable.

 

Each press of X and Y button moves you along that grid by one step, and it would be mere act of little learning to get to use that effectively, something what a school is there for anyway

 

And if you think "what if the pony presses one time too many?"

In such a scenario it helps if the symbol grid has a circular form or a torus, then you can cycle to left as many times as you need to and as you reach the top one more key press returns you down.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Pencils

[SBaby 660]

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!!! THEY TYPE IN MORSE CODE!!!