10-03-2016, 04:14 AM
(10-03-2016, 02:06 AM)Oocephalus wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I don't think these are just the first letters of the words following them, although it may be intended to look like that. This would create letter combinations such as "fk" or "eq" which are very rare or nonexistent in the VMS. Also, it wouldn't explain the repeating pattern noted by Sam G.
If you look at calenders and astronomical texts, you will see voluminous columns that are headed by a letter to help you keep track.
The ones in astronomical charts are usually seven-character sequences (the length of a week), often the letters a to g (although numbers or other sequences can also be used) and then they repeat. This is the kind pf sequence I was referring to when I mentioned that sometimes they are markers (in this example, line markers).
If they were markers (as one possibility), and the VMS writer were intent on hiding the meaning of the characters, the markers themselves could be written out in some sly way