Re: 60csx: why no time info in saved track log?

I don't argue with the direction of the "up" and "down" here, but I would
suggest that the term is now old english! In the "olden" days when a
monster mainframe was moving data to a semi-stupid device (even an early
PC), it was clearly a superior being. As such the mainframe was
"downloading" info from itseld to the inferior PC. Kinda like a guru on the
top of the mountain rolling wisdom down the sides of the hill. The attached
inferior device was often just used for data input and the actually
processing took place on the mainframe. Thus the inferior device (PC?) was
sending information to the grand poobah at the top of the heap for
processing, or "uploading."
In addition, the connection itself required one unit to be a DTE (data
terminal equipment)and the other to be a DCE (data communication equpment)
which implied that one was more intelligent than the other. Much of this
distinction no longer applies.

Now a lot of devices are treated more-or-less as equals. A mainframe or
network may just store data (waypoints for example) for loading into a
device for processing (your GPS). Who is "smart" and who is "dumb" in this
relationship? It's probably more accurate when describing the relationship
between a GPS and a PC by saying "transfer to" and "transfer from" to better
described the flow of information and forget the judgment implied in
"uplaod" and "download." After all "Uploading waypoints to" a GPS and
""Downloading waypoints to" a GPS both describe data flowing in the same
direction, but are confusing since they offer a judgement about the
superiority of a device that really is irrelevent on. I prefer to use the
"transfer to and from" convention since it is less prone to
misunderstanding.

<kashe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:69rab21m2efvluvoaiv1uj67go9copb3a4@xxxxxxxxxx
On 11 Jul 2006 17:45:52 -0700, "nathantw" <nathantwong@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


Ted Edwards wrote:
That's correct. You upload from your saved tracks from your GPS to the
computer. You download the maps from the computer to the GPS unit.

Ask six people about this and you'll get seven different answers. I
transfer data to or from my computer.

That's fine if you use "transfer data to and from my computer."
However, if the word download and upload are used, then it should be
used as I wrote above. You'll find that a lot of people (even
advertising blurbs), especially when describing how they move data from
their digital cameras, will use the following line "easily download
pictures from your camera to your computer."

I once wrote a message to a company pointing out their mistake and they
said that I was completely correct, but they couldn't change the
wording ("download") because it might confuse the public. Apparently
the "public" is so used to using the word download that they use it to
describe any kind of transfer of data.

That said I noticed that NASA uses the word "downlink."

You're all arguing about technical terms which have fallen
into common usage and been corrupted in meaning by colloquial use.
Skip the whole thing and simply say "sent to, "get from" or the like
so there's no disagreement about direction.

Common use will always result in such watering down of what
used to be precise meaning. e.g. "begging the question has, in recent
years been used as synonymous with "requires that you ask this even
more fundamenal question" instad of its precise meaning of using a
circular argument. Anyone who's carefully read a first semester logic
txtbook knows thas, but it's misused daily by supposedly educated
people, apparently to make themselves seem really intense.

Worse yet, and heard at least twice daily on TV/radio is "more
perfect". As though perfect admitted of comparison.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: 60csx: why no time info in saved track log?
    ... You download the maps from the computer to the GPS unit. ... That's fine if you use "transfer data to and from my computer." ... However, if the word download and upload are used, then it should be ... used to be precise meaning. ...
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    ... USAGE COMP ... Can you tell us what software you are using to download the file (and exactly ... the mainframe to AIX? ...
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  • Re: AIX COBOL ASSIGN error.
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