On Feb 2, 10:24*am, Conan The Librarian wrote:

* *Speaking as someone who has more than once been accused of being
anal-retentive and obsessive-compulsive, and whose entire professional
career (cataloging) could be considered to be founded on those two
traits:

Hm.....

Well, if a "career" (presumably paid) based on those traits merits
accusations......then what are we to make of those who do this sort of
**** for its entertainment value?

* *That's just insane. *What sort of twisted mind came up with that
scheme, and even worse, who agreed and said that it was a good idea?

A bit of subsequent research (a very small bit) reveals that its been
before......or since.....at any rate, in other places. Denver dabbled
in it, among others. I know a neighborhood in South Milwaukee (an
incorporated city in its own right, not just a part of The City) where
it was done on a very small scale.

But your question is a good one.....and one that would likely take a
good deal more ferreting than Google is up to. In fact, one of the
more intriguing insights available here is that The Information
Highway is really more potholes than pavement. The answers easily
found are those that EVERYBODY wants......which is to say, mostly
useless.....and even less interesting.

* * * Chuck Vance (and worst of all, who was given the task of
actually choosing and assigning those names?)

Truly a worthy cause for a genuine scholar, I think. A mystery
steeped in history, lexicography, politics, personal narrative,
psychology......all with a liberal application (one presumes) of brute
force and ignorance.

Or maybe it was all done in good humor......and nobody gave a rat's
ass.....or understood.

giles