ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Miscellaneous Technical (Unicode)

Do you know how when you write something on your computer or phone, you can use all sorts of letters, numbers, and symbols? Well, sometimes people want to use letters, numbers, and symbols that are not the same as the ones we use in English. This is where something called Unicode comes in.

Unicode is like a big library of letters, numbers, and symbols that people can use when they are using computers or phones. In this library, there are letters, numbers, and symbols from all over the world, including languages like Chinese, Arabic, and even made-up languages like Elvish from Lord of the Rings!

So, when someone wants to write something in a language that doesn't use the same letters and symbols as us, they can look in the Unicode library and find the letters and symbols they need. Then, they can use those letters and symbols in their writing on their computer or phone, just like they would use the regular letters and symbols we all know.

This might seem like a small thing, but it actually makes a big difference because it lets people communicate in their own language, no matter where they are in the world. Cool, huh?