Bats, bats, wonderful bats!

What is that /\oo/\ symbol? Is it a bat! Here are some examples:

/\../\	/\oo/\	/\`'/\	/\00/\
/\**/\	/\*-/\	/\__/\	/\""/\
/\ .. /\	^oo^	/\¤¤/\	/\oO/\
\/++\/	/\==/\	/\$$/\	__..__
/\../\	/\oo/\	/\@@/\	/\[O]=[O]/\

         ..				||++||
       ||  ||
					    \/**\/
          ..
        \/  \/				       >
					       :
          \				       >
           >
           .				       __..__
           .
           >					  /\../\
          /

       /\../\

          __..__

              /\../\

       	   ===oo===
       		__    __
       	       //\\oo//\\
       	      //   ''   \\

These symbols date back to late 1977. The 1st bat was used in the following 4 line poem:

Should you mistake my trademark for a spider,
i'll ask you to open your mind a little wider.
Though some have even thought it a cat,
let me assure you, this /\../\ is a bat!

The first known use of bats was on the Cal State University networks $TALK chat program. The author of the above poem is unknown. (And of course, the original poem did not contain web links.)

While I did not invent or write the above poem, I developed a wide collection of ASCII bats starting sometime in late 1977. Thru persistent use, it has become my personal trademark.

There is other odd stuff besides this page under this web site.

Landon Curt Noll
chongo <was here> /\oo/\