3 ms·

> at least every 24 hours on a timer. Shouldn't that be 'at most' or 'at least once'? (My English skills are lacking so that was quite the mental stumble for

> at least every 24 hours on a timer. Shouldn't that be 'at most' or 'at least once'? (My English skills are lacking so that was quite the mental stumble for me)

tomcam 4y ago
You are correct
camtarn 4y ago
'at least once every 24 hours' would be valid. 'at most every 24 hours' would imply reboots_per_day < 1 is bad and reboots_per_day >= 1 is good; i.e. that the standard was focused on preventing unnecessary reboots, but didn't care if the reader didn't reboot regularly, which I think is contrary to the comment's meaning. 'at least every 24 hours' is correct.
- Akronymus 4y ago
  > ... would imply reboots_per_day < 1 is bad and reboots_per_day >= 1 is good; I understood as that being exactly the point of the GP, rather than contrary. Because of the 'most' referring to the 24 hrs, not amount of reboots. But I guess this is the point where my lack of English skill comes into play.
  - camtarn 4y ago
    ...I've just realised that I got the < and >= backwards while trying to explain that they were backwards. facepalm > ... would imply reboots_per_day > 1 is bad and reboots_per_day <= 1 is good; is what I meant to say! But now I've taken a look at your phrasing ... I think I read your post as 'at most once every 24 hours', not 'at most every 24 hours' which is actually pretty ambiguous, and not as clear-cut as I was trying to say.
    - Akronymus 4y ago
      Yeah, my writing was quite ambiguous as well. I shouldve written out the full sentences.
b_spinoza 4y ago
I understand how the way the original comment phrased things sounded, to your ears, like "at least 24 hours should pass between reboots," which is not what was intended. And your suggestion, "at least once every 24 hours," would be perfectly acceptable and idiomatic English. However, "at least every 24 hours" is also perfectly acceptable and idiomatic English. It is very common in English to use this construction, "at least every X time period," to mean "X often or more often." If you say, "I make sure to call my distant relatives at least every year," you mean with that frequency or more. If you say, "I make sure to stand up and stretch at least every hour," you mean with that frequency or more. If you say, "these machines are required to reboot at least every 24 hours," you mean with that frequency or more. In other words, "at least" does not qualify the number of hours (such that more hours would also be acceptable), but the frequency (such that greater frequency would also be acceptable). Hopefully this response helps you to understand why English, fickle language that it is, works this way in this case.
- Akronymus 4y ago
  It doesnt explain why that became an idiomatic way to say it. But at least it explains the what.
  - arcticbull 4y ago
    English is a highly irregular and challenging language unless you grew up with it. You have my sympathies.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

> at least every 24 hours on a timer. Shouldn't that be 'at most' or 'at least once'? (My English skills are lacking so that was quite the mental stumble for me)

tomcam 4y ago

You are correct

camtarn 4y ago

'at least once every 24 hours' would be valid. 'at most every 24 hours' would imply reboots_per_day < 1 is bad and reboots_per_day >= 1 is good; i.e. that the standard was focused on preventing unnecessary reboots, but didn't care if the reader didn't reboot regularly, which I think is contrary to the comment's meaning. 'at least every 24 hours' is correct.

Akronymus 4y ago
> ... would imply reboots_per_day < 1 is bad and reboots_per_day >= 1 is good; I understood as that being exactly the point of the GP, rather than contrary. Because of the 'most' referring to the 24 hrs, not amount of reboots. But I guess this is the point where my lack of English skill comes into play.
- camtarn 4y ago
  ...I've just realised that I got the < and >= backwards while trying to explain that they were backwards. facepalm > ... would imply reboots_per_day > 1 is bad and reboots_per_day <= 1 is good; is what I meant to say! But now I've taken a look at your phrasing ... I think I read your post as 'at most once every 24 hours', not 'at most every 24 hours' which is actually pretty ambiguous, and not as clear-cut as I was trying to say.
  - Akronymus 4y ago
    Yeah, my writing was quite ambiguous as well. I shouldve written out the full sentences.

b_spinoza 4y ago

I understand how the way the original comment phrased things sounded, to your ears, like "at least 24 hours should pass between reboots," which is not what was intended. And your suggestion, "at least once every 24 hours," would be perfectly acceptable and idiomatic English. However, "at least every 24 hours" is also perfectly acceptable and idiomatic English. It is very common in English to use this construction, "at least every X time period," to mean "X often or more often." If you say, "I make sure to call my distant relatives at least every year," you mean with that frequency or more. If you say, "I make sure to stand up and stretch at least every hour," you mean with that frequency or more. If you say, "these machines are required to reboot at least every 24 hours," you mean with that frequency or more. In other words, "at least" does not qualify the number of hours (such that more hours would also be acceptable), but the frequency (such that greater frequency would also be acceptable). Hopefully this response helps you to understand why English, fickle language that it is, works this way in this case.

Akronymus 4y ago
It doesnt explain why that became an idiomatic way to say it. But at least it explains the what.
- arcticbull 4y ago
  English is a highly irregular and challenging language unless you grew up with it. You have my sympathies.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]