4 ms·

In countries where the dot is used as the thousands separator, it is not a 'decimal point'. In fact, much of the world does NOT use . as a decimal separator: h

In countries where the dot is used as the thousands separator, it is not a 'decimal point'. In fact, much of the world does NOT use . as a decimal separator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_mark#Hindu.E2.80.93Arabic_numeral_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_mark#Hindu.E2.80.93Ara...

dingo_bat 9y ago
The number of countries using it does not justify the usage. I'm saying that the symbol "." is a decimal point in English. When writing English why won't you obey the rules of the language? Consider how Americans write dates MMDDYYYY. It's fucking stupid, no matter if 300 million Americans use it. Same deal with this.
- hluska 9y ago
  I'm not sure whether you're trolling or whether you truly don't understand the issue here, but your hostility is not only rude, it makes for an incredibly boring thread.
  - dingo_bat 9y ago
    I'm sorry if I came across as hostile or rude. I genuinely feel that using decimals as digit separators is distracting and technically wrong when you're writing English. Full disclosure since some people are assuming I'm an American imperialist: I am not an American, nor have I ever been to America.
    - hluska 9y ago
      First, I don't care where you're from and I generally dislike engaging with people who will say things like "American imperialist", particularly when it relates to communications standards. Second, it's okay to have opinions, but in this case, groups with significantly more clout (ie - the Conference on Weights and Measures) disagree. In the early 2000s, the conference resolved that the symbol for the decimal marker could be either a period or a comma. Both are completely acceptable. The Conference on Weights and Measures also does not approve of the use of thousands separators, so technically, these are both correct: 1 000 000.25 1 000 000,25 But this is always wrong: 1,000,000.25
      - odonnellryan 9y ago
        So the comment he was complaining about was wrong too! I am happy python let's us use _ now to separate thousands positions.
    - dEnigma 9y ago
      >if I came across as hostile or rude How did you think you would come across, if you call someone "insane" and the behaviour of others "fucking stupid"?
- SimonPStevens 9y ago
  The "." symbol is not called a decimal point. It's called a period or full stop. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop You only call it a decimal point because of your cultural bias.
Tomminn 9y ago
Actually this raises an interesting point (gah), how is "1,25" vocalized? Do they say "1 point 25" like non-Europeans do? Because if they do a case can be made that "point" more naturally corresponds to the symbol that looks more like a point, making the non-European system unambiguously more logical.

dingo_bat 9y ago

The number of countries using it does not justify the usage. I'm saying that the symbol "." is a decimal point in English. When writing English why won't you obey the rules of the language? Consider how Americans write dates MMDDYYYY. It's fucking stupid, no matter if 300 million Americans use it. Same deal with this.

hluska 9y ago
I'm not sure whether you're trolling or whether you truly don't understand the issue here, but your hostility is not only rude, it makes for an incredibly boring thread.
- dingo_bat 9y ago
  I'm sorry if I came across as hostile or rude. I genuinely feel that using decimals as digit separators is distracting and technically wrong when you're writing English. Full disclosure since some people are assuming I'm an American imperialist: I am not an American, nor have I ever been to America.
  - hluska 9y ago
    First, I don't care where you're from and I generally dislike engaging with people who will say things like "American imperialist", particularly when it relates to communications standards. Second, it's okay to have opinions, but in this case, groups with significantly more clout (ie - the Conference on Weights and Measures) disagree. In the early 2000s, the conference resolved that the symbol for the decimal marker could be either a period or a comma. Both are completely acceptable. The Conference on Weights and Measures also does not approve of the use of thousands separators, so technically, these are both correct: 1 000 000.25 1 000 000,25 But this is always wrong: 1,000,000.25
    - odonnellryan 9y ago
      So the comment he was complaining about was wrong too! I am happy python let's us use _ now to separate thousands positions.
  - dEnigma 9y ago
    >if I came across as hostile or rude How did you think you would come across, if you call someone "insane" and the behaviour of others "fucking stupid"?
SimonPStevens 9y ago
The "." symbol is not called a decimal point. It's called a period or full stop. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop You only call it a decimal point because of your cultural bias.

Tomminn 9y ago

Actually this raises an interesting point (gah), how is "1,25" vocalized? Do they say "1 point 25" like non-Europeans do? Because if they do a case can be made that "point" more naturally corresponds to the symbol that looks more like a point, making the non-European system unambiguously more logical.