LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Glen Turner <glen.turner@aarnet.edu.au>
  To  : John Edwards <isplist@adam.com.au>
  Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 11:16:53 +0930

Re: Telstra Broadband & Multi-Users

John Edwards wrote:
> 
> Actually, the rest of the Internet (where bytes are metered) tends to use
> base 10 accounting.

Blame the lawyers.  When a bill says "megabyte" then it means
the SI unit "mega" of bytes.  If you want it to mean something
else then you need to define "mega" on each and every bill and
literature, and web page to avoid running into problems with
the trade description laws.

AARNet looked into this about a decade ago, decided it was
too hard (one slip and it becomes a lawyer festival) and
used the SI "mega" unit.

Since everyone at that time bought capacity from AARNet,
"mega" meaning 1000 has stuck.

-- 
 Glen Turner                                 Network Engineer
 (08) 8303 3936      Australian Academic and Research Network
 glen.turner@aarnet.edu.au          http://www.aarnet.edu.au/
--
 The revolution will not be televised, it will be digitised

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