Re: Configure.help editorial policy

Oliver Xymoron (oxymoron@waste.org)
Fri, 21 Dec 2001 14:09:48 -0600 (CST)


On Fri, 21 Dec 2001, Benjamin LaHaise wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 21, 2001 at 01:40:34PM -0500, Eric S. Raymond wrote:
> > What, and *encourage* non-uniform terminology? No, I won't do that.
> > Better to have a single standard set of abbreviations, no matter how
> > ugly, than this.
>
> So, encouraging non-uniform terminology, breaking applicates *and*
> confusing the hell out of everyone is better? Face it, the only
> people trying to confuse things are the disk vendors. DRAM is sold
> by the MB, everyone talks about MB == 1024*1024... I'm having a
> hard time giving a sympathetic ear to anyone try to change the well
> established, and consistent (barring the storage venduhs), standard.

Not true. Bandwidth is measured in metric. Pixels are measured in metric.
Basically anything but RAM is measured in metric. RAM is the exception
because of its intimate relation to bus width and that's an obvious
anachronism. There's no reason anyone but a systems programmer should give
a damn about powers of two.

-- 
 "Love the dolphins," she advised him. "Write by W.A.S.T.E.."

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