>Basically, the original poster is seeing the decimal points and >thinking *only* mathematics/decimal numbers. Could come from being a >mathematics teacher! :-) > >But you see points/periods/"full stop" used elsewhere for different >purposes - as a simple delimiter. > >For example, I just came back from a vacation on the Yucatan and did a >bit of reading before going. > >The Mayans, among their three calendars, include one called the "long >count." Instead of a cyclical (repeating) month/date system, it just >counts up from day 1 (or 0, I'm not sure, but they DID invent 0, even >if they weren't the only ones to do so & the Indians or Arabs or >whoever it was passed THEIRS on to us before we ever met the Mayans). >I've returned the books to the library, so to answer you I turn to the web: > >"In modern notation the Long Count is expressed simply by numbers. For >instance, Monday, Jan. 1, 1996 was 1,865,799 days after the starting >date, or 12 bak'tun, 19 k'atun, 2 tun, 13 winal, and 19 k'in. This >would be written as 12.19.2.13.19." > >and the next day would be 12.19.2.13.20. > >Same as version numbers!!! > >It's the decimal point that makes you think they MUST be counting in >base 10, but that's not necessarily so. > >(For that matter, even our cyclical dates could be written this way if >we put the year first and just use the point delimiter instead of >slashes or dashes - today would be 2002.5.6 - and it would count up >the same way as version numbers! the day is a small revision, >incrementing months is a bigger revision, and changing the leftmost >place is a whole new "version," i.e. year.) > >OK, I really rambled, but I'm still hitting "send" :-) > >Anne
Thanks Anne for your explanation. You are right. I was seeing those version numbers as decimal numbers. Best Regards Uncle George -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | - Epson Stylus Color 580 Printers - new at $69 | & CDRWs on Sale! | SPECIAL LIST PRICES - Apple iMac CDROMs from $79.99, iMac DVD CDROMs from $99.99 3 port USB Hub $14.99, 40GB Hard Drive Upgrades $119 <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> iMac List info: <http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/imac-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
