[timoth3y]

Exactly. Everyone knows it's an octothorp.

[paulmooreparks]

Just don't call it "pound" when standing in Britain. :)

[veltas]

I live in Britain and don't have an issue with it, '#' is originally a symbol for pounds, a shorthand for 'lb', and we are used to the idea that pounds can mean weight, as well as our currency, so why not this symbol as well?

It's believed the 'pound' in pound sterling came from a pound of silver or silver coins in weight originally as well.

[chasd00]

i've just started calling it "shift 3". that seems to be the least confusing way to communicate the character haha

[dylan604]

Is it shift-3 on all keyboards? Maybe it is, but I've seen other keyboard layoutss where symbols are in different locations.

[pwinnski]

That will usually work in the US, but Shift-3 returns £ on keyboards configured for the UK!

[kbelder]

Is that related in any way to the fact that both symbols can be referred to as a 'pound' symbol, or is it a complete coincidence?

[veltas]

I believe it is related to them both being called 'pound', and it is very annoying. The two are not the same symbol, I don't know why they equivocated them. Technically in a distant root they are related, but they are distinct in usage and meaning.