Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: john larkin <JL@gct.com>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: Datasheet-flation?
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:22:01 -0800
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 71
Message-ID: <rf2hkj5bc958njo3b81idk6m0v9g85hgvc@4ax.com>
References: <vhvpl2$2ar1i$5@dont-email.me> <1r3jhb1.ks7h3uj4pk00N%liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> <vi0hlb$2f52m$2@dont-email.me> <1r3kq3f.13cn5n51xsaszuN%liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> <vi33un$32jfc$5@dont-email.me> <1r3mdr5.1gi0f2v19nz8a6N%liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> <v6qbkjhhjup40e98h7dpv16u41efqvh1vs@4ax.com> <1r3ni8c.168sxgezxdj08N%liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> <vi7kcr$37g9$7@dont-email.me> <1r3qa1i.1dqkos811aqhg4N%liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Injection-Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2024 16:22:02 +0100 (CET)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="5d7e535c469d8ade99803474a91fb07d";
	logging-data="633672"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18Ujq4HOdaONVzwYS8MtPcm"
User-Agent: ForteAgent/8.00.32.1272
Cancel-Lock: sha1:j4ab/AFLhh9ohrYPvYZcipCLptI=
Bytes: 4139

On Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:36:08 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid
(Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

>Cursitor Doom <cd999666@notformail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 26 Nov 2024 22:27:12 +0000, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
>> 
>> > john larkin <JL@gct.com> wrote:
>> > 
>> >> On Tue, 26 Nov 2024 07:51:04 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid
>> >> (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:
>> >> 
>> >> >Cursitor Doom <cd999666@notformail.com> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> On Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:21:56 +0000, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
>> >> >> 
>> >> >> > Cursitor Doom <cd999666@notformail.com> wrote:
>> >> >> > 
>> >> >> >> On Sun, 24 Nov 2024 18:22:22 +0000, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
>> >> >> >> 
>> >> >> >> > Cursitor Doom <cd999666@notformail.com> wrote:
>> >> >> >> > 
>> >> >> >> > [...]
>> >> >> >> >> the English and American "billion" was harmonised many years
>> >> >> >> >> ago at one thousand million so there's no confusion.
>> >> >> >> > 
>> >> >> >> > Can you give a reference for that?  I haven't found one.
>> >> >> >> 
>> >> >> >> Try this:
>> >> >> >> https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/why-are-uk-
>> and-
>> >> >> >> american-billions-different
>> >> >> > 
>> >> >> > It just repeats the myth but doesn't give a reference.
>> >> >> 
>> >> >> It's not a myth. UK and US billions have been harmonized at
>> >> >> 1,000,000,000 for as long as I can remember now. As I recall, it was
>> >> >> just done simply via adoption rather than any Act of Parliament or
>> >> >> Statutory Instrument. IIRC, I think the pressure to do so came from
>> >> >> the finance industry.
>> >> >
>> >> >Do you have a reference that isn't just heresay?
>> >> 
>> >> You can go to BBC.com and search for stories with "billions". They
>> >> obviously mean 1e9.
>> > 
>> > That is not evidence that the two have been harmonised, it just shows
>> > that BBC journalists have adopted American terminology.
>> > 
>> > To harmonise two systems requires formal discussion, decision and
>> > documentation and neither you nor I have found any evidence of that.
>> 
>> Fine believe whatever delusions you want to believe but it doesn't change
>> the fact that a UK billion today is one thousand million. Period.
>
>You have still produced no no proof for your original assertion that the
>UK billion has been harmonised with the US billion, which was the point
>in question.  Common misusage does not alter the facts.
>
>Gas is not stored in Gasometers.
>UK pylons do not carry a current of 132,000 volts.
>The "Morse Code" was not invented by Morse.
>
>...the fact that most people, including journalists at the BBC, get it
>wrong doesn't make it right..

Who gets to decide "right"?

If I carry a check into a British bank and it says "one billion
pounds", how much will they pay me?