Message-ID: <3C2343B90009B7E8@mta1n.bluewin.ch> (added by postmaster@bluewin.ch)
From: "Per Jessen" <per@computer.org>
To: "linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
        "nknight@pocketinet.com" <nknight@pocketinet.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 10:18:49 +0100
Reply-To: "Per Jessen" <per@computer.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
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Subject: Re: Changing KB, MB, and GB to KiB, MiB, and GiB in Configure.help.
Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org

On Sat, 22 Dec 2001 23:21:11 -0800, Nicholas Knight wrote:
>On Saturday 22 December 2001 03:22 pm, Per Jessen wrote:
>> On Sat, 22 Dec 2001 21:18:08 +0100 (MET), Pozsar Balazs wrote:
>> >This might be a standard, but _it_is_not_adopted_anywhere! (at least
>> > I haven't seen it anywhere (I might be blind)).
>> >I would rather call standard something which is adopted in real
>> > life.
>>
>> No, that would be a socalled defacto standard. Ie. not necessarily a
>> standard proposed and recommended by a standards body. For instance,
>> you may think that the UK using pounds and ounces is standard - after
>> all they are both being used in real life. But it is contrary to the
>> standard. (as given by the SI system).
>
>Not anymore. Apparently it is now illiegal in the UK to use Imperial 
>measurements (or for that matter, anything but standard metric) in 
>transactions. If people are still using the Imperial system in day to 
>day life, they won't be very soon (and yes, this has infact been 
>enforced at least once that I've heard of.)

Yeah, I know of those too. I lived in London when that case with the greengrocer 
or butcher or whatever was on. I think the guy was prosecuted.
That case was partially about the metric system, partially about EU legislation.
The UK government had agreed that by a certain date, all supermarkets etc.
would be required by law to mark all goods with a per 100g price. Not per ounce
or whatever. 
This is of course caused a few people to whine ....
And soon AFAIR, at least one supermarket turned around, and stopped also marking
goods in price per ounce etc. Downright silly.

>
>Let me know when we're done fighting about wether or not we should 
>confuse everyone (further) that tries to configure their first kernel.

Sooner or later, the IEC notation will also make it into the schools, and students
will be graduating knowing nothing but the IEC notation. If we haven't changed by 
then, that's when we'll see some true confusion.


/Per Jessen, Zurich.

regards,
Per Jessen, Zurich
http://www.enidan.com - home of the J1 serial console.

Windows 2001: "I'm sorry Dave ...  I'm afraid I can't do that."


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