[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Is bit just short for B i n a r y d I g i T ?

Or is there a certain amount of 1's and 0's in a bit?

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by 4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie

Is bit just short for B i n a r y d I g i T ?

Or is there a certain amount of 1's and 0's in a bit?

Yes, Bit = Binary Digit

And no, a bit can only have one value, either true or false, or if you like 1 or 0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Yeah I know they can only have one value, as what it comes down to is simply transistors - Current, or not; 1, or 0 - respectively.

Just wasn't to sure if a bit was just a value or whether it was a cluster of values (ie. it didn't stand for binary digit)

[cheesepuff]

gosh darn...why can these units be like the metric system and work in sets of ten

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by cheesepuff

gosh darn...why can these units be like the metric system and work in sets of ten

Thats a dang good question.

But why doesn't the US wake up and get rid of flipping inches and yards and all that tosh?

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Originally Posted by serverguy

Thats a dang good question.

But why doesn't the US wake up and get rid of flipping inches and yards and all that tosh?

Yeah, noting your flag why are you so fussed anyway?

You're used to a completely different system for every type of measurement..

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by 4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie

Yeah, noting your flag why are you so fussed anyway?

You're used to a completely different system for every type of measurement..

Huh, we woke up a long time ago and realised it is far easier to work in multiple of 10....

The US is still in the stone ages, but unfortunately it is still necessary for the rest of the modern world to have regular dealings with them, when there still working in multiples of the first number they pick out of thin air...

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Originally Posted by serverguy

Huh, we woke up a long time ago and realised it is far easier to work in multiple of 10....

The US is still in the stone ages, but unfortunately it is still necessary for the rest of the modern world to have regular dealings with them, when there still working in multiples of the first number they pick out of thin air...

No sorry, I was referring to Cheesepuff in the US - should have made it clearer.

I'm in england, perfectly happy with metric!

I meant why was cheesepuff in a hurry to get binary metric (although it'd never happen as it defeats the point) seeing as he's used to different imperial systems for every diffeent measurement.

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by 4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie

No sorry, I was referring to Cheesepuff in the US - should have made it clearer.

I'm in england, perfectly happy with metric!

I meant why was cheesepuff in a hurry to get binary metric (although it'd never happen as it defeats the point) seeing as he's used to different imperial systems for every diffeent measurement.

Actually, I think, and correct me if I am wrong, they are taught metric in school now, so the new generation will be more used to metric than imperial...

The most nuts thing is, that because British agriculture is so backwards lol, where I work on a farm, seed / fertiliser etc is still sold by the acre, but then when you come to putting it in the machines, or setting the sat navs up, thats all in acres, so it all has to be painfully converted, but then we have to sell the bleeding stuff imperial again!

So even England isn't completely metric, heck we still use miles rather than kilometres... anyone tell me a good reason why?

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Never thought of the miles/km thing.

That's wierd. Some things are just tradition I guess, we have words and traditions like "milestone" for instance..