Re: Changing KB, MB, and GB to KiB, MiB, and GiB in Configure.hel p.

[David Weinehall <tao@acc.umu.se>]

On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 11:13:52AM -0800, Nicholas Knight wrote:
> On Thursday 20 December 2001 10:36 am, Dana Lacoste wrote:
> > > I believe that the main purpose of documentation, help etc is
> > > to get the
> > > information across in a way that is most easily understood, ie that
> > > minimises the number of support questions.. ..and everyone
> > > surely knows
> > > what GB, MB and KB stand for. So let's leave it at that.
> > > Where's the "i"
> > > in "megabyte" ? Or is 1MiB 1000000 bytes, rather than 1048576?
> >
> > 1 MB isn't 1048576.
> >
> > it's 1000000
> >
> > mega isn't 2^10, it's 10^6
> >
> > so where are YOU coming from?
> >
> > (no, i'm not arguin, i don't particularly care.  but i'm
> > pointing out that some people have completely firmly set
> > definitions and some other people also have firm definitions
> > and neither will agree the other's right.  MiB is the international
> > standard for a 2^10 B(yte) specification.  so if you mean
> > 2^10 bytes, you mean MiB, not MB, even if you don't like it :)
> 
> This "international" standard seems to have excluded a few countries. 
> It wasn't until it was SET that I even heard of its existance. (And 
> then only through SLASHDOT!)
> 
> Everyone I know has been using KB/MB/GB for 1024 forever. The *only* 
> exception is networking, and the occasional FLASH/ROM size. The latter 
> isn't very common discussion, and among those that it is, they'd know 
> what the other was talking about. For the former, I can distinguish 
> easily depending on who it is.
> 
> Someone without a lot of experience: I have a 1MB connection. (this 
> user has a 1 Megabit connection)
> 
> Someone with experience: I have a 1mb/Mb connection. (This person has a 
> 1 megabit connection has used a "standard" abbreviation.)

You have a 1 millibit per Megabit connection?!?!

[snip]


/David Weinehall
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