Goth Code

Author: Peter T. Caffin

Tags: untagged

Inspirations: Geek Code, Twink Code, Bear Code

Inspired: Action Figure Code, AFP Code, Attrition Code, Australian Politics Code, Comic Geek Code, Demo Scene Code, Disney Afternoon Signature Code, Furry Code, Marching Band Signature Code, Moonie Code, Rivetcode, Scout Code, Transformers Code, Wallflowers Code, Whore Code 🔞🔍, Zoo Code 🔞

• Version 1.0 (Beta)
  • Specification (canonical, 1995-10-20, archived)
• Version 1.1a
  • Specification (canonical, archived)
• Version 2.0A
  • Specification (mirror, 1996-04-27)
• Version 2.5A
  • Specification (mirror, 1996-08-09)
• Version 3.0
  • Specification (canonical, 1997-01-01)
• Version 3.0A
  • Specification (mirror, 1997-03-08, archived)
• Version 3.1
  • Specification (canonical, defunct, 1997-03-17, archived) - Broken link
  • Decoder (defunct, archived)
• Version 3.1A
  • Specification (mirror, 1997-03-18, archived)
• Version 98
  • Specification (canonical, defunct, 1998-02-19, archived) - Broken link
  • Encoder (defunct, archived)
  • Decoder (defunct, archived)

Found on:

• alt.gothic (newsgroup)

Referenced from:

• At least 80 signature codes
• Critter Code (archived)
• DataPacRat's Code Mirror
• Robin Powell's Code List

See also:

• Goth.Code Homepage (archived) - Contains an encyclopedic list of other codes.

The Goth Code is a very well-used code, but also one that is hard to find: The most recent official version, GothCode 98, reportedly had all of its copies pulled down at the request of the author.

GothCode 98 is also interesting in that it is one of the few machine-decodable codes, using “6-bit ASCII byte encoding”. To use the examples from a GC98-producing tool, Gabi, GothCode 3.1A might look like this, approximating the same category-modifier types as in bear code and geek code:

GoSS6Hu6AS6 TGJtSe5 PSaMoL B8/G"1@ cDbr-w6S V7s M3p2D ZNrGoPu C6o A25- n4F b55 H173 g7T??91FYbt mEa2@Z3 w6T v3 r3]1[EIs p777Z5Ed D64~!* h7(P!) sM8M SrNn k6! N1293FNECW RsS LauWA6

GC98 uses a base64-like “grey table” of 65 values (a = 0, a-z, A-Z, 1-0, !, #, $ = 64). Codes from GC98 might look like this:

vQaaaa5aaSaaaaaaaaaa54auMZZZa___yzazazaa3aaaaa5a5a aa5aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabzak5aaasEaaa___FaaaaaaaUSPA

yWaqda3GaSeaiaaaHaaa65gCMUMCvi73cejejejL38WKKb4b6r fb5nPyGGDmcehH#Maxdbbppk7baasNbKgYYYFaaaaaaeUSPA