Post AurZf5wXPkkSLAVTxw by JW@stlouist.social
 (DIR) More posts by JW@stlouist.social
 (DIR) Post #AurZ4XhHGO7jhdwIa0 by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-06-06T19:13:06Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       Metric fanatics take note: computers are not metric. Bits, nybbles, bytes, words, blocks and sectors, packets, allocation units, whatever, are far closer to traditional units of measure, where things are based on doubling and halving and even (often power of two) multiples: ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons, etc. Computers are wildly and fundamentally not metric. K, M, G, T, P, you can't square a circle. "Imperial" is simply when the ruling despots declared some random craftsmen's units were more popular and favorited then declared as "imperial". Units of measure were populist ideas, they came out of skilled folk performing skilled tasks, and the units arose from need., not decree. When you join a guild, you learn and accept it's systems. You don't claim allegiance with the closest Despot and defend their side. Skill involves working in the world, and the world is messy and subjective and filled with people and their annoying and wonderful ideas. Fuck this idea of everything thing uniform. I want moar chaos. We certainly have too much order right now.
       
 (DIR) Post #AurZf5wXPkkSLAVTxw by JW@stlouist.social
       2025-06-06T19:19:40Z
       
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       @tomjennings +12 pt
       
 (DIR) Post #AurccBOL06YEERoSi8 by acodrst@mastodon.social
       2025-06-06T19:52:45Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @tomjennings You're in luck.
       
 (DIR) Post #AuruUM2fJiiE7d5oLw by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-06-06T23:13:04Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @JW Lol no one's risongvro the challenge.
       
 (DIR) Post #Aurue7CrKXLZ0RVzjk by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-06-06T23:14:49Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @hippiegunnut Lol right!
       
 (DIR) Post #AurvaGGNobC3tJtDEG by teajaygrey@snac.bsd.cafe
       2025-06-06T23:24:46Z
       
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       I mean, there are (now) SI units for a variety of things. So I guess someone (or group) was up to the challenge after a fashion?So now we've got mebibyte (MiB) and whatnot.I've been coding longer than SI units for such things ever existed, so they mostly confuse me.If I wanted to get precise, I'd usually stick with bits.A lot of other terminology seemed to be utilized to make specific vendors' tech specs seem more appealing to consumers who probably barely cared and probably closer to marketing departments' priorities than techie nerds like me. (Thinks back to SEGA videos game cartridges with terms like "MEGA Type: Four MEGA + Battery" [e.g. Phantasy Star, which was a 4 megabit ROM with a battery backed SRAM for save game IIRC])CC: @JW@stlouist.social
       
 (DIR) Post #AusCrYpLkKlVbt508e by brouhaha@mastodon.social
       2025-06-07T02:04:37Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @teajaygrey @tomjennings @JW Prefixes like kibi, mebi, gibi, etc. (powers of 1024) are IEC prefixes, and are not part of SI.However, BIPM (the SI bureau) does recommend their use when powers of 1024 are used.
       
 (DIR) Post #AusCrZpO1gOAiI6Xpo by teajaygrey@snac.bsd.cafe
       2025-06-07T02:38:25Z
       
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       Hah! Thanks for the clarification!CC: @tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org @JW@stlouist.social
       
 (DIR) Post #AusHEYx5qcPiTTvQuW by bjb@fosstodon.org
       2025-06-07T03:27:53Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @tomjennings https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TablespoonThere are variations on the size of a Tablespoon.By country, by usage, by who-knows-what.
       
 (DIR) Post #AusK5OKYGkCWmwDT1M by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-06-07T03:59:53Z
       
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       @bjb Right! And like 100 different "inches"!