[MEncoder-users] Using SI units in mencoder

[RC]

On Tue, 8 Feb 2005 17:59:50 +0100
Tetsuo Yokozuka <yokozuka at gmail.com> wrote:

> We should go along with freakin' standards. A kilo is 1,000, any kind
> of scientist will tell you that.

This is a case where other systems do not make any sense.  There is NO
place that 1000 makes any sense in computers.  You will never find a
hard drive who's size is exactly a multiple of 1,000 bytes, nor RAM,
etc.  There is no reason to use base-ten prefixes when it comes to
computers.  Or should we change a byte to be 10 bits too, just to better
fit with the metric system?

You know, a ton (or tonne) was defined as 2,000 pounds (lbs) long before
the metric variation.  Why not change that?
 
> This isn't the first time I've seen suggestions be automatically
> rejected because "we just don't like it".

It's being rejected because it goes against the long-standing standard
use of the terms.  You aren't getting your way, so you whine and
complain, and say that everyone else in the world is wrong, except you.

> Besides, at least hard drive manufacturers *always* specify on their
> products that they are using powers of 10

Yes, in tiny print in some dark corner they specify it.  That's because
they are the ones using the wrong definition of the terms, and have to
put that small print to avoid being sued (again).

In fact, I think you'll consistently see that any place KB is used to
represent 1000 bytes, you'll see just such a disclaimer.