Oh no. I’ve fallen down another rabbit hole.

         __      __                  .___                   .__            .___
        /  \    /  \____   ____    __| _/___________  _____ |__| ____    __| _/
        \   \/\/   /  _ \ /    \  / __ |/ __ \_  __ \/     \|  |/    \  / __ |
         \        (  <_> )   |  \/ /_/ \  ___/|  | \/  Y Y  \  |   |  \/ /_/ |
          \__/\  / \____/|___|  /\____ |\___  >__|  |__|_|  /__|___|  /\____ |
               \/             \/      \/    \/            \/        \/      \/

Does this happen to you? When you’re online and you start looking at one thing (say, some facts you have to know about) but as you’re finding out about them you spot something else interesting along the way and before you know it you’re looking at that, and then you spot something else and start looking at that instead. Me and my friends call that ‘falling down a rabbit hole’, after Alice in Wonderland.

When you fall down a rabbit hole you find some weird and wonderful things. One of the most most wonderful and also most weird things I’ve found out about is called ‘ASCII art’. Have a look at this (if it just looks like a big pile of letters and numbers and symbols you may need to stand back from the computer a bit and have a look from further away):

                                                     ``....`
                                                  -oydhsy/--o+:-.
                                                :so--:-/.       `:/
                                               :mmhyNMd+---.  ..  /h.
                                               hMy//oy. :+/.` .--``+h`
                                              `mh`     ```/+/`-.os:.o+
                                              `N+          `` `./so.-y`
                                              -Mdo.  ```      --:y:.`s.
                                              omMMy``ymdy/.  /:syy..:+o`
                                             `hmMmy  +NNdh:  `/md-   /-:`
                                             .mNMyo.` `-.`    -yd.  ```--
                                             `dMNhsd:-        +y/.`/-`:+o`
                                    -:.      `hN+hmNh+       /od-./o..-dds.
                              `:+o+hNNo     `sNy.hNm:``..-:++` ds --`:ydo:o:
                            ./shymmMNy:    `/yssohNMNmmmmyo-   hh`/ --yy/+/d/.
                          -/:`-o/dMMdy`   `/+mdosMmNMds+yy/` ``y+``/y/hdddyh+h.
                       `-+:./s-:dMMMN/-` -ymhNN:sMNho+.`/:-:...s+`.ho+h/.:hysms/`
        `.:-         `:+-.:s/:yyNMMMN:`/-NMmsmdsddyh/:.``..``.`s+-/o-o. `.-/ohhmy:`
        -:+-`      .-:.oo/:-.+yNmMMhs: /.sNmdosmMh/:..-:-....`:m+s//h/..s+/++oymmy+
        ::-:-     ++`+//o+``+-sNNMM/`` +-.ymouseMs+:``-.`    ./hmy/.h:/+o/-.-+dmdhy+`
        ::-+:`  ` .++/+y/`.+``omNm/yo  `+.`omNhNm:``  .`     yyos-ssmmdmh+:yyymhmo:m-
        :/::/. .```  `-d::/`  `.-. `s:  `/:`hdmNMh:/:---`   ./-s/hNNNhooy+sNdNhNN/`ho
        .//-/+   ````  -/-          .y:   :ymdmNMNs/--.``   `-o--NMMh-    `yymsss+ -y/
         :.:/o`..                    :h-   oNmNmNyyy:`---`  .+`-+mNdmy/-   o+Nm: :+``-.
        .-/++y+o` ``.`                /h:  +myNMMNdo.   .::.--///+/-...`   o-s/+ .oo
       ``-o:/s++-`-:`.``               :hs-mhmMMMMh+-.`  -.              .-s`` .  ``
         `..````` ```:::/::-...-------.`.osmMNmhyMMhyyo//ss:::-..````````-//
         `   ``      -....-` ````````..-:-.//-..hMMNd+.` .:+hNNmmmmdyo+//:.
         `  ````  ``     `  ````.----:+soh`  `:dMNMdy-  /hNMMMMMMNNooho+++/-`
      -/+/+++++/:::::://///++oosyhdysyddo-  -yNMMdh..``+NMMMMMMMh:y+-:o+:://:-`
      syhddddhhysosoooooooos+osssoyhhyN/` -sNMNNM+-``:yNMMMMMNNd-.:oo:++:-:.`-+/`
       oodmmhys/:----.........--.-/oss/.ohdNMMNNN. `:.smMouse:y. -`-+o/-`-/-``-/:`
      +hddoy+hdydmdhyymmddmmmdy+/+/yd-`yMmNNNNhNd` `-:-ymhss/:`:` :.`.+ss. -//----/:`
      dyh+/o/hhhdmdmhoNMMNNsNdhy/s/m-`.NMNmmNm/:h`  `.ydo::.```+: `/:``-os-..-:/:-.-/-
      hsy-dm+hNmhmmms+hMMMh md+: :-+``/NNssdmm:`-/    .hh:`   /o.  .::` `/oo```.:o:-.+o.
      dMo-hs/hmNdmNmy:sNMMs`+Nh/-/y.`smNNNd:/d+-`+.    `:o+-.-/..`  .-:  `/oy: ``:y/-.-//`
      dN..y//yNNyNNmhsdNMMs.`mds+y++sdhMNNh``/+-.:/  ``   ````  .`   -:.  .:hs-` ``oo.` -/-`
      ym.-y+/:dmhmyyhsyMMMs/`dos-s/yssmMNo.``:y   .````       .-/:`  ..+`  `:y+/   `/o`.``-/-
      /d`-yso/yhmmhdh+yNMM+. h/h-odhmhdhy/` .yh`   ``.`      `:o/.   .:::  .`/ho--  `-+:--.`-+.
      .h :dh+osymNhysssNMM+- y/d-oNsh+yyy+` `/oo`   `..      ./:`     /-o` `.-+s:-`  `.s-`-:`-//`
      -h ohosddmmhmhmdoMMN++.y:h-+Noy+h+-`   .:y+`  .`        :/`     --s:  `/-/yh+   .:y. .+-:- .
      .y`yddyyddyymhNhyMMd/-`y.y.+h/sd+:`    .``   `.     ` ` ...``   `--h-  `:.ohh-   ``+``---  o
      `y.hhmyoyshNNNoyoNN+/``y.s./hyso``    ```    ..     -.```. `     ``ss   `-.yms- `  : +/.- -/`
      `y.mmmousedmdyydydh-/ `y.s./ymmo-...``````   `      `-`          .-:+.    -:ydh:/` .-ss/``+/
      `y.hsmdddhdhmmdNdhs././y.s`:NmNdhsoo+//:---:-``.`` `   `````..---:.`y/    `.odNh:-`...+y/-./.
      `y-++NdddmMmdmhdyys./..h`s`:MMNNMs:oNMMdoyhhyo+//:---.--.-::::/+oo++s` ``  ..odhy.`-. `ss--.
      `y-/sNdhNNNmNNmhhyo./ :d`s`:MMNNh-/oMMm::+/:/+soss//dmNs/-:::-----:/.:`.` `  -+yyo.  `-.+.
      `y-omNNmNdNmMMMNdyo.+ /h`s`:MmMd-`oNmm:`.:-/+--```  hMN-` `` `.--://-.`````. -.oss+` ``.-`
      `h:hd+dNNhMMNMMMMso.+` s`s`:hmNy/ohMms.  ..-:-` ``` hMN/ .-.`....```..```  ``-o.-+--:-.`
      `h/syssNysNNdMMNhso.s-`s`s :ssy::oNMo.-.```--.`  `  yMMy::--...``    ` ````...+
      `d/osshNddNNNMmmNso`++.y`s :- `..:yd+/-.`.`.-.` ``. hMMh....``.--..  .```.---.`
      `m:shodmNdNmMNNdNo+`os`y`s :-``....-:/::::://:-...`.hMNd:-----.:/:. ``..```
      `m`ohsdoyhNNmdNmds+`yo-y`s :-+-:+/:`.+/-`` `:``-yNmmMMMNhsshdNmNd.``.`/.` . `
      `h`-/ys.-mdNNdMNho/`o+yh`s :--/+:-.--s--`-.-..  .NdmMMMMMmdddMdmN/.`:-//..`--`
      `s  /+::omdNNmmhNs/`dydh`s :-/ods++-hdohs+..:.   smNmMousessmhho/-`-s.+.:/ /
      `o` `./osyNNhyydNs-.hyhh`s ::+ydhsmshyoshs.-.. ``.mNNNNmhoy+:/+.`:-s- ``
      `o   `+ymdmouseNNs`.Ndmd.s`::/ohssmhyhsoyysy.    `omNmmdh.+y.    -- ``
      `o  `-dyhyhhhyhmNo.:mMmNys.:+//+.`-.-.`..-..`  ` ``+yhdyh``yy`   .:
      `o  ---.+/:--::/d+/+omdNds.:hys+--/--:.....`  `    sddomd` .d:   `:
      `o    ./+++o/:/ys:.`-o:dhs`:ohddmNNmdyo+::```      s+o`sh-  :m:   /
      `s     `..:++od+-``..`-yhs `  `.:+soyhshhdmdho+/../ddho+No  `d+   --
      `y-           `:--::---dNd            ````/+ooyhNs:` .oNMm-``ddo-`.+
       +s` ``.-..`           dMd                  `/dMMds-/ymNNNNhdN+..:/m/
        .so/.`-:::.`        -dh/`o.              `yNNdhs+/-``.-:/yNy:--:hMd`
      `::////-//os:--:-.``  ohooo/o               `.-..`        :mmmddyyd+.
      `-:+yo+//+so/.-ohyhdsyhdmy-./+.                          `hNys+//-`
             .. .+o++++:+d+oomo``.-o//                           ```
                   ```/+--osso:::://:`
                       `-.o-  ``

It’s a picture of Alice! I’m sure you noticed it’s made out of symbols and letters and numbers. Down in my rabbit hole this is what we call ‘ASCII art’ (pronounced ‘Ask – ee’). ASCII art pictures work because your brain is very good at seeing patterns. That’s why you see Alice when you look at the picture, not just a pile of symbols. If you think about it paintings they’re just blobs of paint on a canvas, but when we look at them too we see pictures of things and not just the paint.

ASCII art is pictures made from only these letters and numbers and symbols (which – geeky fact – we call the ASCII character set):

                  1234567890
                  abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
                  ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
                  ! "#$%&'()*+,=./;:<=>?@ [\]^_`{|}~

Do you know why people started making pictures using only these characters? Because not so many years ago many on computers, or at least many computer programmes, there were NO PICTURES! Can you imagine? If you wanted to write a story and add a picture you had to draw it in ASCII art. The history of ASCII art is a lovely one, full of creativity, creaky old technology like typewriters, bad jokes and wonderful pictures (there is a link to a webpage at the end of the post that will tell you about the history of ASCII art and to a site which has lots of cool ASCII art pictures for you to look at).

You probably already use simplest form of ASCII art – emoticons. They’re those little smiley faces you put on text messages and emails and things when you want to show what you’re feeling.

                  :) Happy
                  :( Sad
                  :D Laughing
                  :| Not sure
                  (you have to look at these sideways to see the little
                  smiley face)

There are lots and lots of them (there’s a big list here).

In my next post I’ll show you how to make your own ASCII art and some really cool other things with letters and numbers and stuff.

**COMPETITION**

Meanwhile I mustn’t forget the puzzle competition. Remember, there’s one puzzle at the end of each of the four ‘Rabbit Hole’ posts. Write your answer for each puzzle in the comments. Then, when you have all four answers, email them to kids@tate.org.uk. If you’ve got the answer right you could win an iMac! GOOD LUCK!

The second puzzle clue is this. Somewhere in the picture above I’ve hidden the name of one of the characters from Alice in Wonderland. What is it?

Links

History of ASCII art
(One of my favourite bits is the typewriter art. If you think about typewriters, they’re like highly-efficient computers with built in printers that don’t need any power. How innovative!)

A MASSIVE collection of ASCII art pictures

• Peter Law
  Peter Law makes things on the internet (they call it being a producer). He also enjoys ASCII art and chasing things down rabbit holes.