Re: math.sci
- From: Ronald Bruck <bruck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2006 13:54:01 -0700
In article <e1gobc$3op$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Arturo Magidin
<magidin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In article <110420061009457944%bruck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Ronald Bruck <bruck@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In article <j9dn325l7r5p95emr2cerboc8f1ut16nob@xxxxxxx>, David C.
Ullrich <ullrich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 11 Apr 2006 04:58:20 -0700, v4vijayakumar@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
shouldn't it be math.sci?
No.
(Can't explain why not until you say why it _should_
be math.sci; I can imagine a few reasons someone might
think that.)
I think the explanation is simple enough. Usenet is divided
hierarchically, with the most generic group first, the refinements
following. sci. is the hierarchy most concerned with science,
technology, mathematics, etc.
In only a tangentially related note: this is of course the opposite
convention as the one we use for addressing letters, at least in the
west: we begin with the most particular information (name of the
person), then go on to specify the building and street, then the city,
then state or municipality, and finally the country. We go from most
particular to most general.
I was once told that in some specific other country, I believe it was
Russia, one usually addresses letters in the other order: specifying
country, and going down to person.
I find THAT very interesting.
Dates are another example. In the US, Christmas 2005 occurred on
12/25/2005. A European would write it 25/12/2005. And **I** write it
2005.12.25, so my pictures get indexed in the order they were taken.
(There's a little utility for the Mac, called ExifRenamer, which
changes the name of the picture to the date contained in its Exif
comment field. Renames it down to the second. Problem is, I use a
Nikon D2H, which shoots 8 frames a second for 40 frames...)
I realize this makes me a prisoner of my computer, whereas the
master/slave relationship should be the reverse. Oh well.
Apropos sorting: I believe it's Knuth who makes the point that while
alphabetical sorting on the FIRST letter of an author's name was
practiced by the ancient Greeks, it wasn't until recently (18th
century?) that someone got the bright idea of sorting on the SECOND and
later letters. Good thing there weren't software patents in those
days...
--
Ron Bruck
.
- References:
- math.sci
- From: v4vijayakumar
- Re: math.sci
- From: David C . Ullrich
- Re: math.sci
- From: Ronald Bruck
- Re: math.sci
- From: Arturo Magidin
- math.sci
- Prev by Date: Re: math.sci
- Next by Date: Re: JSH: Prime counting should be easier
- Previous by thread: Re: math.sci
- Next by thread: Re: math.sci
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
