Not quite. The dude in question was a talented mathematician, one of those responsible for introducing the concept of hindu-arabic numeration to the middle east and, later, to the west. But the attribution of a corruption of his name to the concept of algorithm is a historical accident. From wikipedia:
"The word algorithm comes from the name of the 9th century Persian mathematician Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Musa al-Khwarizmi. The word algorism originally referred only to the rules of performing arithmetic using Hindu-Arabic numerals but evolved via European Latin translation of al-Khwarizmi's name into algorithm by the 18th century. The word evolved to include all definite procedures for solving problems or performing tasks."
Perhaps so, officially. In science and Engineering SI/metric is the order of the day. But you still find fruit in the market sold by the pound rather than the kilogramme, most people plan their journeys in miles, and buy beer in pints. The European Union legislation and a botched partial conversion to Metric in the 1970s means that we buy petrol (gas) in litres, but describe fuel consumption (at least informally) in miles per gallon. Carpet is sold in standard rolls that are 4 metres wide, but you often see it advertised as £xxx per 0.7465 (or whatever it is) of a square metre...
Linux is furlongs behind Windows...
Linux is fortnights behind Windows...
Linux is yonks behind Windows...
Linux is firkins behind Windows Furlongs per fortnight...
Really, what the BBC is saying is that there's two ways you can get its content after it airs on the TV; one is that you can get it through the IMP and have a crippled experience, the other is that you can be a criminal.
Or use a VHS recorder.
Or buy a DVD.
Or use a DVD recorder.
These all work for me.
Or for that matter, the perennial controversy over whether honours for first digital computer should go to the British working at Bletchley Park on the Enigma decoders. I don't have a bias here (well, not much), but you need to remember that there were a several teams working on electronic digital computing around the world, and many of them were top-secret projects.
For a touch of irony, you can replace "ration" with "rational" and "disciple" with "discipline" in the parent post. It might make a little more sense. But not much.
Or replace "DRM" with any of the words "Abba", "Mutogenesis", "Elasticity", "Ombudsman", "Heliotrope", "Kansas", "Telephone" or "Cowpat" for an entertaining, yet, fundamentally meaningless view of, well, whatever you like.
I did not realise that ration argument had become a disciple of text substitution.
So either your argument has a flaw, or the article is not accurate in some way. Notwithstanding the propensity of civil servants to waste money, I think it is most likely that the data being captured is not as extensive as you assume.
According to TFA they are expecting about 35 million reads per day. If they are storing (say) seven or eight digits of a numberplate (as opposed to the raw video data) the data requirement might be much smaller than you imply.
Mind you, I can't see that 35 million reads per day would be nearly enough to track all the cars in the UK all the time.
If Locke, Rousseau, and Jefferson had computers, I am sure they would have put Free Software in the rights of man
I marvel at your ability to put 21st century thought processes into the minds of long-dead 18th century philosophers. Much as I admire Free Software, I don't really think that statement stands up to scrutiny.
Because pure mathematics sometimes turns out to have unexpected real-world benefits. Ancient Greek mathematicians such as Apollonius of Perga studied properties of the conic sections (circles, ellipses, the parabola, the hyperbola) as pure maths with no expectation of practical gain. Two thousand years later, we found that planets move in ellipses, that projectiles follow parabolic paths, and so on. Hey presto, that ancient pure mathematics becomes useful...
I don't think that's strictly speaking a solution to the puzzle, but I'm very suprised that original article didn't mention the PATERNOSTER re-arrangement. Although somewhat contentious, it does raise the possiblity that the ROTAS... grid was an early Christian symbol, perhaps rather like the fish.
Thanks for the clarification. But if you search google, you get international results unless you go to great pains to restrict searches geographically. So measuring anything that is US-centric using a world-wide search is pretty meaningless.
And I would encourage all Americans to look outside their borders occasionally, just as Europeans and everyone else should do from time to time.
Well yes, I do know what Thanksgiving is. But since I don't in North America, it's hardly relevant to me. There's a rise in fireworks related injuries in the UK at the start of November, but do you guys in the States have one?
The Internet is in-ter-na-tion-al.
Slashdot Mirror
Not quite. The dude in question was a talented mathematician, one of those responsible for introducing the concept of hindu-arabic numeration to the middle east and, later, to the west. But the attribution of a corruption of his name to the concept of algorithm is a historical accident. From wikipedia: "The word algorithm comes from the name of the 9th century Persian mathematician Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Musa al-Khwarizmi. The word algorism originally referred only to the rules of performing arithmetic using Hindu-Arabic numerals but evolved via European Latin translation of al-Khwarizmi's name into algorithm by the 18th century. The word evolved to include all definite procedures for solving problems or performing tasks."
Perhaps so, officially. In science and Engineering SI/metric is the order of the day. But you still find fruit in the market sold by the pound rather than the kilogramme, most people plan their journeys in miles, and buy beer in pints. The European Union legislation and a botched partial conversion to Metric in the 1970s means that we buy petrol (gas) in litres, but describe fuel consumption (at least informally) in miles per gallon. Carpet is sold in standard rolls that are 4 metres wide, but you often see it advertised as £xxx per 0.7465 (or whatever it is) of a square metre...
Linux is furlongs behind Windows... ...
Linux is fortnights behind Windows...
Linux is yonks behind Windows...
Linux is firkins behind Windows
Furlongs per fortnight
Not unless Bill was there on the day with a shovel in his hand.
I'm particulary happy to see that it's "very unique". That's so much better than boring old "unique".
Or use a VHS recorder. Or buy a DVD. Or use a DVD recorder. These all work for me.
Or for that matter, the perennial controversy over whether honours for first digital computer should go to the British working at Bletchley Park on the Enigma decoders. I don't have a bias here (well, not much), but you need to remember that there were a several teams working on electronic digital computing around the world, and many of them were top-secret projects.
Your page isn't loaded until the thin browser pings.
Planets, yes. But it wouldn't take a genius to see that that moon is a sphere; just look at the phases over the month.
Well, me for one. But it was quite funny.
... surely no one would ever change their mind, on any subject?
For a touch of irony, you can replace "ration" with "rational" and "disciple" with "discipline" in the parent post. It might make a little more sense. But not much.
I did not realise that ration argument had become a disciple of text substitution.
I have a black phonographic disk with a hole in it. Is this a record?
So either your argument has a flaw, or the article is not accurate in some way. Notwithstanding the propensity of civil servants to waste money, I think it is most likely that the data being captured is not as extensive as you assume.
According to TFA they are expecting about 35 million reads per day. If they are storing (say) seven or eight digits of a numberplate (as opposed to the raw video data) the data requirement might be much smaller than you imply. Mind you, I can't see that 35 million reads per day would be nearly enough to track all the cars in the UK all the time.
I marvel at your ability to put 21st century thought processes into the minds of long-dead 18th century philosophers. Much as I admire Free Software, I don't really think that statement stands up to scrutiny.
Because pure mathematics sometimes turns out to have unexpected real-world benefits. Ancient Greek mathematicians such as Apollonius of Perga studied properties of the conic sections (circles, ellipses, the parabola, the hyperbola) as pure maths with no expectation of practical gain. Two thousand years later, we found that planets move in ellipses, that projectiles follow parabolic paths, and so on. Hey presto, that ancient pure mathematics becomes useful...
Don't forget the parallel universe where Bill Gates wears an eyepatch....
Chap with the wings, five rounds rapid!
... that Wallace (of Wallace and Gromit fame) can fool any fingerprint detector?
I don't think that's strictly speaking a solution to the puzzle, but I'm very suprised that original article didn't mention the PATERNOSTER re-arrangement. Although somewhat contentious, it does raise the possiblity that the ROTAS... grid was an early Christian symbol, perhaps rather like the fish.
Thanks for the clarification. But if you search google, you get international results unless you go to great pains to restrict searches geographically. So measuring anything that is US-centric using a world-wide search is pretty meaningless. And I would encourage all Americans to look outside their borders occasionally, just as Europeans and everyone else should do from time to time.
Well yes, I do know what Thanksgiving is. But since I don't in North America, it's hardly relevant to me. There's a rise in fireworks related injuries in the UK at the start of November, but do you guys in the States have one? The Internet is in-ter-na-tion-al.
Microsoft acts just like any corporate in America, and gets flamed on slashdot! Wow, Bill must be real cut up about it.