Re: Heartbleed

[Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca>]

On 2014.04.18, 18:20 , Jeffrey Carter wrote:
> On 04/18/2014 02:06 PM, Alan Browne wrote:
>> On 2014.04.18, 16:45 , Jeffrey Carter wrote:
>>>
>>> Not really. As more than 95% of the world's population demonstrate, the
>>> average person can understand the metric system. My experience is that
>>> the average developer cannot understand the concepts underlying Ada.
>>
>> 1. '... to most Americans.'
>
> Most Americans can understand the metric system if they have to. The US
> military takes typical Americans and has them working exclusively in
> metric in short order.

I know.  The metric system has been the primary system ow W&M in the US 
since before 1900.  But they plugged in an exception for commerce and of 
course that killed broad adoption.  Post WW-II the US military went 
metric to make cooperation with other countries easier.  Exceptions 
include navigation terms (nautical miles, knots) for the floaters and 
fliers.

But no.  Most Americans do not function well in metric in everyday 
situations.  I get blank stares when I use kilograms - then "what's that 
in ounces" and litres.  They're (sometimes) able to deal with metres 
("that's about a yard, right?").

>
>> 2. 'twas a joke son, a joke I say.
>
> I know. That never stopped me before.
>


-- 
"Big data can reduce anything to a single number,
  but you shouldn’t be fooled by the appearance of exactitude."
      -Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis, NYT, 2014.04.07