Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 04:22:25 +0200 From: Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@ceid.upatras.gr> To: Michael Wardle <michael.wardle@adacel.com> Cc: Wouter Van Hemel <wouter@pair.com>, doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: inconsistent use of data units Message-ID: <20020221022225.GA12900@hades.hell.gr> In-Reply-To: <3C745639.8080509@adacel.com> References: <3C743707.3080505@adacel.com> <20020221003116.GA11893@hades.hell.gr> <3C744D39.1020308@adacel.com> <1014256250.304.66.camel@cocaine> <3C745639.8080509@adacel.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On 2002-02-21 13:06, Michael Wardle wrote: > Wouter Van Hemel wrote: > >>>>There is a standard on how to represent data sizes here: > >>>>http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html > >>>> > >>>>I suggest that the document is updated to consistently use this > >>>>standard. > > [...] > > >>>I would probably prefer it if we consistently used KB for Kilobyte(s), > >>>and MB for Megabytes, but having different symbols for units that are > >>>multiples of 1024 and other symbols/contractions for multiples of 1000! > >>>No, please no. > >>> > >>Like it or not, 1000 bytes != 1024 bytes. KB (or preferably kB) means > >>1000 bytes, and that's not the units we usually talk about. > >> > > > >So you think this would make things _less_ confusing... Interesting. > > It would follow a standard, and would remove ambiguity. The current > kludge of calling 1024 a kilobyte is incorrect, and is actually rather > confusing to anybody who is familiar with metric/SI, which defined kilo > as exactly 1000 quite some time ago. > > You'll also notice that those from an engineering, physics, networking, > or hard disk manufacture prefer kilobyte = 1000 bytes (as it should do). > > >If we consistently use kb and mb (_with_ space...), > > You meant "KB" and "MB", right? (kb = kilobits, mb = millibits)... Well, I want my bikeshed green. And I'd prefer it all (consistently) written as shown below: Short form Long form ================================== 1 MB 1 Megabyte 1 KB 1 Kilobyte 1 Mbit 1 Mebagit 1 Kbit 1 Kilobit This way, there is no confusion as to whether Mb refers to bytes or bits. Bytes are always capitalized, and denoted by appending 'B', and bits are explicitly mentioned as 'bits' without capitalization. This last Mbit/Kbit notation seems rather clear, and it seems to be some sort of a de facto standard among people working on routers and telecomm guys. Now, that 1024 vs. 1000 thread, I think I've seen it a few times. I'll probably avoid enforcing a rule, since for sectors, whose size is 512 bytes, it's customary to refer to 1 KB as 2 sectors, but when we're talking about bits, and using Kbit/s it's probably more appropriate to (implicitly) define 1 Kbit as 1000 bits. Giorgos Keramidas FreeBSD Documentation Project keramida@{freebsd.org,ceid.upatras.gr} http://www.FreeBSD.org/docproj/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20020221022225.GA12900>