4 ms·

What is "BP"? I tried searching the Inernet but couldn't find it.

by meowster 5y ago

AQXt 5y ago
Before Present? (Just guessing)
beaconstudios 5y ago
My guess is "before present", not sure why you wouldn't use BCE/CE though.
- ysavir 5y ago
  BP (when properly explained) emphasizes that the important aspect of the timeline is its relativity to the current time.
  - mLuby 5y ago
    So it saves 2 characters compared to ###y ago but requires an explanation. 2500 BP 2500y ago
    - ysavir 5y ago
      Agreed, I was explaining a contrast to using BC/BCE.
    - rjknight 5y ago
      "ya" is an equally short abbreviation for "years ago".
      - mLuby 5y ago
        I've never see that before so I'd have to look it up just like BP.
  - beaconstudios 5y ago
    I can see why it makes sense in archaeology, but using it here without any explanation just led to confusion. Everybody knows BC/AD (or BCE/CE if you're wanting to be cross cultural) so using it is just poor communication in this case.
    - gowld 5y ago
      It's trivial to Google and then we are part of today's 10,000.
      - beaconstudios 5y ago
        Yes we can easily Google "BP".
  - dragonwriter 5y ago
    BP conventionally being relative to an epoch date of 1 Jan 1950, which is at an ever increasing distance from the actual present, is something of an issue (and while “before actual present” is useful, using BP for it, given the conventional use, is problematic.) "ya" (years ago) as a suffix is better, in that it doesn't have a conventional use with a particular epoch date.
AlotOfReading 5y ago
It normally refers to a timescale called "Before Present" where Present is defined as = Jan 1, 1950. You see it a lot in radio- dating. GP has invented their own dating system with the same name based around ~2021. Fun fact, there's no corresponding After Present system for dates after 1950. Instead you subtract negative years. E.g. 1957 AD = -7 BP.
- kens 5y ago
  That's interesting. The creation date for Dungeons and Dragons (1974) would be -24 BP then.
augustk 5y ago
Talking about abbreviations: https://blog.mitchjlee.com/2020/your-writing-style-is-costly https://blog.mitchjlee.com/2020/your-writing-style-is-costly

What is "BP"? I tried searching the Inernet but couldn't find it.

AQXt 5y ago

Before Present? (Just guessing)

beaconstudios 5y ago

My guess is "before present", not sure why you wouldn't use BCE/CE though.

ysavir 5y ago
BP (when properly explained) emphasizes that the important aspect of the timeline is its relativity to the current time.
- mLuby 5y ago
  So it saves 2 characters compared to ###y ago but requires an explanation. 2500 BP 2500y ago
  - ysavir 5y ago
    Agreed, I was explaining a contrast to using BC/BCE.
  - rjknight 5y ago
    "ya" is an equally short abbreviation for "years ago".
    - mLuby 5y ago
      I've never see that before so I'd have to look it up just like BP.
- beaconstudios 5y ago
  I can see why it makes sense in archaeology, but using it here without any explanation just led to confusion. Everybody knows BC/AD (or BCE/CE if you're wanting to be cross cultural) so using it is just poor communication in this case.
  - gowld 5y ago
    It's trivial to Google and then we are part of today's 10,000.
    - beaconstudios 5y ago
      Yes we can easily Google "BP".
- dragonwriter 5y ago
  BP conventionally being relative to an epoch date of 1 Jan 1950, which is at an ever increasing distance from the actual present, is something of an issue (and while “before actual present” is useful, using BP for it, given the conventional use, is problematic.) "ya" (years ago) as a suffix is better, in that it doesn't have a conventional use with a particular epoch date.

AlotOfReading 5y ago

It normally refers to a timescale called "Before Present" where Present is defined as = Jan 1, 1950. You see it a lot in radio- dating. GP has invented their own dating system with the same name based around ~2021. Fun fact, there's no corresponding After Present system for dates after 1950. Instead you subtract negative years. E.g. 1957 AD = -7 BP.

kens 5y ago
That's interesting. The creation date for Dungeons and Dragons (1974) would be -24 BP then.

augustk 5y ago

Talking about abbreviations: https://blog.mitchjlee.com/2020/your-writing-style-is-costly https://blog.mitchjlee.com/2020/your-writing-style-is-costly