addr: CYBERSPACE

Where did the name " 42 " come from???

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Thinking that a location in cyberspace would be easiest to remember, Room 42 Software LLC recycled the 42 notion,
first presented by Douglas Adams, in his book "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy".

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"You're really not going to like it," observed Deep Thought.
"Tell us!"
"All right," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question..."
"Yes...!"
"Of Life, the Universe, and Everything..." said Deep Thought.
"Yes...!"
"Is..." said Deep Thought, and paused.
"Yes...!"
"Is..."
"Yes...!!!...?"
"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Though I read your HHGG book, all I really remember about it was the answer "42". I found the answer highly amusing, being a bit of a philosopher. But also being a computer techie, I took to responding to impossible questions with the answer "42", which served to lighten whatever tense moment was going on.

When it came time to name my company - internet technologies, if you will - I thought a location in cyberspace would be easiest to remember, and then because I am well known to my peers for flipping off this "42" answer --- well I have ended up with the company name Room 42 Software, LLC.

I don't believe this is any infringement on your work - I hope not, I mean no harm at all. I did use a quote from your HHGG book on http://www.reply42.com/addrcyber.html and gave you as the author, and that deep thought passage, as the inspiration for my company name. Beyond that, I have done nothing more with 42, other then to continue to chuckle with it ... It's great.

Thanks for your note. I don't think there's any problem in your using the number 42. If I could get copyright on a number I would be a very rich man!

Thanks for asking - not everybody does and it leads to endless trouble!

Good luck.
Best,
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Douglas Adams
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Update October 19th, 2006:

Room 42 Software LLC was owned and operated solely by myself from January 1996 through December 2006. In every year, except the last year - Room 42 Software LLC made a profit. Not bad for a rookie business woman who never dreamed she'd be in business for herself, huh?. The secret? In bad times - cut expenses. In good times - cut expenses.

On the day I set the paperwork in motion with the Secretary of State for "dissolution of business" I also lost my domain of room42.com. Not to bother dissing anyone, but I was had, and before I could do anything about it, some advertising smuck had taken over my domain of 10 years - room 42 com. All my links, all my bookmarks, and even my email address of 10 years - all gone, with no way for me to update regular repeat customers.

I had to ask myself "with the business shutting down, and my domain name lost to me, should I also let the web site go"? And almost surprising to me, the only possible answer was "No, I'm not getting out of the web site business". I have thousands of visitors per month that use some of the tools on this web site. I did need however a new domain name to begin operations all over again.

Thus, if the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything is "42" (per HHGG and Douglas Adams) Then when replying to impossible questions (situations) the answer is always "42". And keep a going. I chose the name reply42.com to go forward with.

This web site ran for 10 years as room 42 com. But today we start a new. Today this web site is reply42.com for indeed that is the reply to the impossible - 42. It might take me a while to get the site back up fully functional, and take a while to straighten out the search engines, but I got time. I'm not going anywhere. (ah, the joys of retirement).