O is not zero

[jackfaire]

I know in print this might not work well but I don't like when people are asked for a number and they say the letter O in place of the number 0.

Now most times this is just a minor annoyance but some ID #s and such have a combination of letters and numbers so using them interchangably in your vocabulary does not work.

[Ree]

I'm guilty of that.
I don't know why.

I do try to catch myself.
It's just a bad habit I guess.

[jackfaire]

My issue mostly is I get in trouble if I put incorrect information in someone's file. One piece of ID I commonly take is driver's license. Some states use letters and numbers. If someone says O I type O. If their information gets run it will come back wrong or as someone else's ID and look like a fraud case.

[Cats]

I'm guilty of it, and I actually do use both zero and O, sometimes in the same sentence (such as reciting a phone number with 2 0's in it). I do make an effort to try to say zero when I mean the number, but it's FAR more common around here to say O, so it's a hard habit to break.

If you're reciting something that has both letters and numbers, yes, it is important to differentiate. But of you're say, reciting a house or phone or credit card number where there is ONLY numbers and they know that O really means zero, I don't really see the harm.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Hey, give me a break, I can't help it. My eyes don't see numbers so well, only letters. I run into a string of numbers, my brain is so glad to see something it thinks it can recognize it reads it as an O.

I see fives as S, too. And sometimes threes as E. You'd love me if the zero-O thing annoys you.

[HYHYBT]

If it's a situation where numbers and letters are mixed, I'll be careful. But when it's obviously a number, well, "oh" it usually is and there's no good reason for it not to be. Unless there's more than one 0 in a row, because "oh oh" isn't very distinct. For example, a credit card I no longer have, I'd read the number as "six oh one one zero zero four nine..."

[jackfaire]

I should have been clear it's more in situations where it can be letters and numbers mixed.

Also some people live in states where a DL is just numbers but the thing is other states use both letters and numbers so I don't know whether I just put in the correct information or if John Smith is going to be notified that your fraudulently using his information.

EDIT: And yes I realize it is petty but sometimes I am also transcribing what you say which allows me to type faster and get your stuff taken care of if you say O I will type O and take longer. It's petty stupid and the only reason I commented was because someone said their license was from a state that uses only numbers so to verify I said, "Okay you mean 0 right?" and they gave me crud.

[Boozy]

Hey, give me a break, I can't help it. My eyes don't see numbers so well, only letters.

You would have been really good at that silly calculator game school children play. 80085 = BOOBS. *Tee hee hee*

[Peppergirl]

You would have been really good at that silly calculator game school children play. 80085 = BOOBS. *Tee hee hee*

Children? I played that last week!

[Greenday]

I can actually type letters with my calculator. What a nerd.

Depends on what it is. Phone numbers, I sometimes use O's instead of 0's. But I've been doing it less and less.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

You would have been really good at that silly calculator game school children play. 80085 = BOOBS. *Tee hee hee*

I was genius at that game.

Not on purpose, of course.

[jackfaire]

rofl

A person was using our automated system and kept saying the letter o rather than the number 0.

It doesn't like it any better than I do.