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Gail Shaw wrote:
> Hmm. Dictionary says it just means 'quantity'. Guess that's my physics
> background showing through.
> Either way, it doesn't mean 'revolutionary', 'massive' or 'significant'
Quantum means discrete, as in having integer-valued states rather than
real-valued states. Sort of like "granule". :-) Quantum, atomic, and
granule are all relatively similar meanings, methinks.
> Quantum leap forward = leap forward of some arbitary quantity. Doesn't quite
> have the same ring.
Sure. But the point is it's a leap, not a slide. You don't ease forward
a quantum amount. You have to leap forward a quantum amount.
A "compute quantum" is how long the OS lets your program run before
interrupting it, for example. It doesn't matter how long that it, or
whether it's the same time for every program.
On the other hand, they're probably just (as Andrews says) using it
because it sounds cool, not because they know what it means.
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
Helpful housekeeping hints:
Check your feather pillows for holes
before putting them in the washing machine.
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Darren New <dne### [at] san rrcom> wrote:
> On the other hand, they're probably just (as Andrews says) using it
> because it sounds cool, not because they know what it means.
I somewhat similar common expression is "we are light-years ahead of
our competitors".
They don't realize that's exactly as silly as saying "we are miles ahead
of our competitors", or in European, "we are kilometers ahead of our
competitors". IMO that expression just isn't sensible with a measurement
of distance.
What they really want to say is "we are years ahead of our competitors"
(in terms of progress, technology, experience or whatever). It's just
that "light-years" sounds fancier.
--
- Warp
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On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:07:13 +0100, Stephen wrote:
> Worse still do you use any of these phrases?
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7457287.stm
Several, actually. <shudder> That's the danger of moving into
management. But for #10, over here, I hear "opportunity" instead of
"problem".
Jim
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On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:51:27 -0700, Darren New wrote:
> On the other hand, they're probably just (as Andrews says) using it
> because it sounds cool, not because they know what it means.
I think that particular usage almost certainly has to come from the TV
show of the same name. When the main character would go from one place
to another, it was immediate, and everything was different.
Jim
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Mueen Nawaz <m.n### [at] ieeeorg> wrote:
> 110%
That's an especially funny expression because it's so easy to defend,
and so easy to debunk at the same time.
"Doing 110% means that you not only do everything you can, but you
make extra effort and surpass yourself and give a little more."
But if you could surpass your efforts by 10%, that means you weren't
doing it at 100% to begin with...
--
- Warp
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Warp wrote:
> I somewhat similar common expression is "we are light-years ahead of
> our competitors".
>
> What they really want to say is "we are years ahead of our competitors"
> (in terms of progress, technology, experience or whatever). It's just
> that "light-years" sounds fancier.
"A spaceman came travelling on his ship from afar. Twas light years of
time since his mission did start."
Like, WTF?
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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Jim Henderson wrote:
> I hear "opportunity" instead of "problem".
That probably actually started out as reasonable advice. Some problems
actually are opportunities. "Problem: The program is too slow.
Opportunity: Rewrite it with better algorithms, given what we learned
from the first version." "Problem: we're out of cheap, popular CPUs.
Opportunity: Sell the more expensive, more profitable CPUs."
The problem comes not from determining if there's an opportunity within
the problem, but from dismissing a very real problem by naming it
"opportunity". :-)
As for the "110%", I usually answer that with "No, you get about 35%,
unless you pay me overtime." ;-)
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
Helpful housekeeping hints:
Check your feather pillows for holes
before putting them in the washing machine.
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On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:36:47 -0700, Darren New wrote:
> Jim Henderson wrote:
>> I hear "opportunity" instead of "problem".
>
> That probably actually started out as reasonable advice. Some problems
> actually are opportunities. "Problem: The program is too slow.
> Opportunity: Rewrite it with better algorithms, given what we learned
> from the first version." "Problem: we're out of cheap, popular CPUs.
> Opportunity: Sell the more expensive, more profitable CPUs."
I think that's probably right. In a previous job, management referred to
all "problems" as "opportunities", though - regardless of whether or not
it actually was or not. The spin was "it's an opportunity for you to
shine!". But of course, on those days, I left my shoe shining kit at
home. :-(
> The problem comes not from determining if there's an opportunity within
> the problem, but from dismissing a very real problem by naming it
> "opportunity". :-)
Yep.
> As for the "110%", I usually answer that with "No, you get about 35%,
> unless you pay me overtime." ;-)
LOL, I like that.
Jim
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Warp wrote:
> They don't realize that's exactly as silly as saying "we are miles ahead
> of our competitors",
That's not that bad, if you're talking about racing. It's just ...
sloppier. You could say "We're years ahead" and imply that it would take
the competition years to catch up. But you can say "We're miles ahead"
and imply you're well ahead of the competition without actually
committing to how *much* ahead you are. :-)
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
Helpful housekeeping hints:
Check your feather pillows for holes
before putting them in the washing machine.
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Orchid XP v8 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> "A spaceman came travelling on his ship from afar. Twas light years of
> time since his mission did start."
> Like, WTF?
Not only is the term "parsec" used as a unit of time in the original
Star Wars, but there's actually a second WTF related to the use of that
unit: It's a unit related to the orbital diameter of the Earth, and Star
Wars happens "in a galaxy far, far away". No Earth there.
--
- Warp
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