[Ffmpeg-devel] [PATCH] Print KB for 1024 bytes

[Uoti Urpala]

On Thu, 2007-02-15 at 17:42 -0500, The Wanderer wrote:
> Panagiotis Issaris wrote:
> > and prefixes such as "M", "G", ... are _not_ context dependent.
> 
> Actually, yes, they are; "M" means either "1000000" or "1048576",
> depending on context, just as "K" means either "1000" or "1024"
> depending on context.

You want to use them that way, but the SI prefix M is unambiguously
1000000. Sometimes people use it inaccurately, but that does cause
problems and as such should be discouraged as incorrect rather that
accepted "in their context".

> I would hazard a guess (I haven't spent excessive amounts of time
> thinking about this) that the "correct" way to fix it would be to devise
> *separate* prefixes which have unambiguous meanings, which could *not*
> be conveniently mistaken for the current usage, and then *allow but not
> require* those prefixes to be used - leaving people free to use the
> existing ambiguous form if they want to. (By contrast, the current

If I understand you correctly you're proposing new prefixes for 1000000
etc. That's just stupid. The ambiguous usage has only been used with any
popularity for a couple dozen years. As it became more common it also
became obvious that it was a bad idea. Changing all the existing units
because of such temporary misuse makes no sense whatsoever. Considering
your own irrational reaction to the Ki/Mi etc units, how do you suppose
people would feel if they'd have to change all the existing units in
every field? (At least recognize them even if you try to weasel around
that with "free to still use the now-declared-ambiguous forms")

> However, this has not been done, and what *has* been done is
> unacceptable. So, here we are.

You're not willing to accept the reality, but you hardly have the
authority to declare that it "is unacceptable".