On Tue, 14 Mar 2017, John Savard wrote:

In searching for information on the Web about versions of ITA 2 as modified for
different languages, I came across a web page which noted that, because of the
stateful nature of 5-level code... because a garble can lead to a mistaken shift
into FIGS case... 5-level code is quite rightly something that ought to be
relegated to the past.

But why should five-bit code be saved?

It made sense when it was the only thing allowed on the ham bands, and
there were those cheap Teletype machines offered by various groups.

But relatively few have those old machines around, and would they be
compatible with any modified system?

For the rest, they are using computers, and then does it really matter
which one is being used, 5-bit or ASCII? There was a time when the Deaf
used Baudot machines to communicate over the phone lines, influenced by
ham RTTY, but once they went to electronic machines, the only reason to
stay with 5bit was compatibility. By now, I doubt anyone is using a
mechanical typewriter for that, so there's no real compunction to stay
with 5bits. Indeed, the ASCII world opens everything up, suddenly the
Deaf can talk not only among themselves, but to the world in general (now
that everyone has computers).

Michael