On 2007-04-19, Steve Holden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Antoon Pardon wrote: >> On 2007-04-19, Steve Holden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> Michael Bentley wrote: >>>> On Apr 19, 2007, at 4:11 AM, Antoon Pardon wrote: >>>> >>>>> On 2007-04-19, Michael Bentley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> [...] The >>>>>> learning curve is rather steep IMO, but worth it. >>>>> Just a throw in remark, that you may ignore if you wish, but a steep >>>>> learning curve means that the subject is easily familiarized and that >>>>> the learning period is short. >>>>> >>>>> You seem to use it as if it is the opposite. >>>> Mathematical absurdities aside, it's the common usage -- but perhaps >>>> you knew that. >>>> >>>> >>> Perhaps in Belgium they prefer climbing mountains over walking up and >>> down gentle hills? Or possibly they will simply pick any nit that is >>> carelessly left within range? >> >> If it is just a nit, why don't you ignore my remark as I suggested? >> > Because I suffer from the quixotic urge to help stamp out obsessive > compulsive behavior on c.l.py? This is self-defeating, of course, since > it makes me appear obsessive compulsive in my own right ... > >> Now suppose I give you a graph that shows you how different people >> are making progress. Would you prefer the rather flat curves instead >> of the steep curves because the latter gives you the idea of someone >> having to conquer huge obstacles or would you choose the steep curve >> because they show you someone is getting results fast? >> > Suppose I should you a hill you have to climb? Would you rather don > mountain boots and crampons to climb 3,000 feet up a vertical cliff or > would you rather amble up, say, Ben Lomond with the other tourists?
So if you have the choice between a steep or a shalow income curve you will prefer the shalow curve because a steep curve makes you think about verticale clifs and such? The analogy with a walk is just silly because curves are not like walks. Nobody will say something like: I won't invest in that company because it has a steep profit curve or the reverse: I'll invest in this company because it has an easy looking downhill going profit curve. > Clearly you have no wish to bow before common usage. be careful this > doesn't put you in a universe with only one inhabitant. We all have to > get along. Indeed I have no wish to bow before common usage. I prefer to think about things and dare to speak out when they don't seem to make sense. Just repeating common usage propagates a lot of nonsense. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
