(no subject)

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Sir, your claim to have "a degree in computing" would sound a lot better if you had not asked, about 3 minutes later, what the difference is between a bit and a byte.

Comments

[valancy17.livejournal.com]

well, he knows there's such a thing as a bit in the first place - that proves he knows something about computers, right?

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

No, he was complaining about the speed-capped speed, which is listed in kb, and he was reading off his meter which is in kB, and he couldn't understand why a 64kb dial up connection only allowed downloads at 8kB.

He also disputed the usage and said it wasn't his responsbility to have firewalls or AV, but I digress. And will cry if I think about that call any more.

ahic

[valancy17.livejournal.com]

. . . but I digress. And will cry if I think about that call any more.

Understandably so.

[captpackrat.livejournal.com]

Oooh, they have the Internet on computers now.

[zra.livejournal.com]

damn. i learned that when i was like 12 and im not even that good.

[jahbulon.livejournal.com]

Technically accounting is 'computing'. Maybe he was a very literal-minded CPA.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was a degree in abacus use, or firebottles. Or rocks.

[kallell.livejournal.com]

yeah well, i still cant keep the two straight. It just escapes me no matter how many times i learn - like antifreeze, can never remember how one is supposed to do that.

[kallell.livejournal.com]

explain away, i know what each is, i just keep forgetting which is which

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

"Bit" is smaller.
"Byte" is bigger.

Easy?

[kallell.livejournal.com]

so size does matter?

[netsearcher.livejournal.com]

Yes. The smaller word goes with the smaller number. :)

(This reminds me of how years ago, we had to teach a very airheaded co-worker to keep the names straight of two llamas who looked completely different. Finally another co-worker asked R. "Simon and Schuster, which is the smaller name?" "Simon." "OK, the smaller name belongs to the smaller llama.")

[fuzzyr.livejournal.com]

except when a Byte is 6,7, or 9 bits

but we won't talk about those kind of machines (not in regular use anymore). Check the Jargon file for some of those wierd beasts.

[phyphor.livejournal.com]

The word bit comes from binary digit, so it is either a 0 or a 1 and is therefore smallest possible size "chunk", and gets a lowercase b.

Bytes must therefore be made up of bits, so are larger, so get an uppercase B.

[canray.livejournal.com]

What would we call it if it was a Trinary Unit?

[codevixen.livejournal.com]

Don't feel alone! I usually can't keep them straight either. ;)