eric wrote:

http://zgp.org/pipermail/p2p-hackers/2001-September/000312.html

Base32 is a good encoding scheme for representing hashes.  Having more
than one binary-represented-in-ascii scheme in the protocol (ADC or not)
is a liability.  Please see that.
  

Did they not also say that base64 is better (shorter) ?
 

Did they not decide that the benefits of base32 outweighed the benefits
of base64?

- Todd