# 5 digits
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-digits/53505
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [February 7, 2001, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-digits/53505 "2001-02-07T15:14:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@douglas\_r\_smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglas_r_smith)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2001, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-digits/53505/1 "2001-02-07T15:14:57Z")
If Chris McManus is watching… What makes you say that an
octal numbering system is “much more sensible”?
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### Author:  [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2001, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-digits/53505/2 "2001-02-07T16:22:47Z")
Why, that it would have simplified working with some computers from about 1945 to about 1965 (and then, with sharply decreasing applicability, to about 1990), of course.
I rather fancy that wasn’t what Evolution had in mind.
Before computers, it was 12 that was being pushed by reformers (more divisors).
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-digits/53505/3 "2001-02-08T23:42:11Z")
The moderator of this forum has asked that posters include a link to the Staff Report or Mailbag Item that is being discussed.
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).
The Staff Report can be found on-line at this link:
[Why do we have five digits on each limb? (06-Feb-2001)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m5digit.html)