Re: OT - Convert output of byte count to GB count?
On 16/02/13 16:54, Jerry Stuckle wrote:
> On 2/16/2013 9:54 AM, Pascal Hambourg wrote:
>> Jerry Stuckle a écrit :
>>> On 2/14/2013 4:52 PM, Pascal Hambourg wrote:
>>>> And now there are "official" binary prefixes, so there is no
>>>> excuse for not using them when powers of 2 are more convenient instead
>>>> of abusing SI decimal prefixes.
>>>
>>> And who declared these made-up prefixes "official"?
>>
>> BIPM (SI), NIST (USA), CENELEC (Europe) IEC, IEEE.
>> Are these official enough for you ?
>> See <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_prefix>
>>
>>> Making up prefixes for something which has always been that way is
>>> confusing.
>>
>> Abusing already-existing prefixes by giving them a different meaning is
>> confusing too.
>>
>>> It's simple. When dealing with computers, it's powers of 2.
>>
>> Actually not in all cases but mostly in storage capacity only. When time
>> or frequencies are involved, i.e. in clock, speed or data rate (bus,
>> network, disk...) use of powers of 10 has been constant. 10Base-2 speed
>> is 10 000 000 bits/s.
>>
>
> True, I will agree it is storage capacity.
>
>> But this is not the point. I repeat, the use of powers of 2 is perfectly
>> acceptable. What is not acceptable any more is the abuse of decimal SI
>> prefixes for powers of 2. I have abused them too, but always felt
>> uncomfortable with this practice because of the potential and real
>> confusion it caused. I felt happy when standardized binary prefix were
>> adopted, and used them right way. Hey guys, it just takes a tiny "i"
>> inserted in the notation to avoid confusion ! Are you just so lazy ?
>>
>>
>
> Using an extra "i" will be confusing to the majority of the world.
>
> Please show me one major manufacturer which uses it, for instance. Or a
> mainstream publication.
>
> Saying something is a standard does not make it so. Only acceptance by
> the users makes it a standard. And that has not occurred.
>
It certainly won't happen with luddite attitudes like yours prevailing.
It IS a standard, whether you like it, or not. Get used to it.
--
Tony van der Hoff | mailto:tony@vanderhoff.org
Buckinghamshire, England |
Reply to: