HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: aaronk@county.lmt.mn.org (Aaron S. Kurland)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.q
Subject: Q / DS9 *SPOILERS*
Date: 20 Jan 93 16:26:16 GMT
Organization: LaserMaster R&D

In article <1993Jan17.164601.19464@husc15.harvard.edu> blom@husc15.harvard.edu writes:
>In article <1j9va1INNqok@intercon.intercon.com>, dave@intercon.com (Dave Saunders) writes:
>> In article <1993Jan15.191153.1585@ncsu.edu>, lhschein@eos.ncsu.edu (LAURENCE 
>> HOW SCHEINMAN) writes:
>>> I'm a fan...sorta. :) 
>>> 
>>> I'm kinda new at the newsgroups, and was hesitant to breach some kind 
>>> of protocol (If it's different from BBS protocol, that is) 
>>> 
>>> Tell me, do you have a list of ST: TNG episodes that Q was in? 
>>> 
>>> Here's a plot thread for you :  Imagine what would happen if a member 
>>> of the Q started hanging around 
>> 
>> Wrong Q. This has nothing to do with TNG. Try Q The Omnipotent. Slayer of the 
>> weak minded.
>
>No, right Q.  "Q" is the man AND the continuum.  And, (hate to tell you all), I
>think we may have seen the last of Q yesterday.  Seriously, it almost always
>spoils a work to have an omnipotent character.  (read: predictable and boring)
>
>Oh, and Q is most definitely from TNG.

No matter who this newsgroup is for, I am posting info about Q from ST:TNG 
here.

In an episode tentatively named "Q-Less" Q will visit DS9 with Vash (the 
young woman from "True Q" I believe).

If there is interest in a list of episodes with Q (and other continuum 
menbers) I *could* compile one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
           "LSD made me a better person than I am today."  -Me

  My company has not yet accepted my application for Corporate Spokesmodel.

        Mail: aaronk@county.lmt.mn.org       Flames: alt.dev.nul
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jgostin@eternal.chi.il.us (Jeff Gostin)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.q
Subject: Re: Where are the Q-Fans in use-net
Date: 23 Jan 93 05:43:26 GMT
Organization: The little node that could...

blom@husc15.harvard.edu writes:

> No, right Q.  "Q" is the man AND the continuum.  And, (hate to tell you all),
> think we may have seen the last of Q yesterday.  Seriously, it almost always
> spoils a work to have an omnipotent character.  (read: predictable and boring
     What a silly pathetic creature you are, human. Surely, any TRUE Q
would know that the only reason humans find me "predictable and boring" is
because they lack the wisdom to understand me. My fellow Q will surely
attest that I am anything BUT predictable and boring. *sigh* Wait a few
hundred mellenia, human. You'll learn.



                                   --Q


...From a tiny little node called Eternal!
--
    /|Email  to:   jgostin@eternal.chi.il.us, offline@infopls.chi.il.us
   / |Smail  to:   Jeff Gostin, 917 High Ridge Pass, Carol Stream IL 60188
   \ |Vmail  to:   708-293-5526
    \|Flames to:   trashcan@eternal.chi.il.us
From: mcsbc3maw@dct.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.fan.q
Subject: Q in DS9
Date: 21 Jan 93 17:53:48 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology



What do you think the chances of Q having not just a guest appearance
on DS9 but a reacurring role as on TNG ?????

Mark
From: mcsbc3maw@dct.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.fan.q
Subject: Q & the Enterprise crew
Date: 22 Jan 93 08:55:45 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology

Which of the TNG enterprise crew do you think Q is most interested in ???

My vote goes to Picard 

But it is a toss up who he holds the most contempt for (there is a lot of 
contempt to go round after all !)

I think he likes Dr crusher for curing his back ache !

mark
Xref: sparky alt.fan.john-palmer:472 alt.religion.kibology:6017
From: roy%cybrspc@cs.umn.edu (Roy M. Silvernail)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.john-palmer,alt.religion.kibology
Subject: Re: looking for a female JP to perform a weddin
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 93 10:26:46 CST
Organization: Villa CyberSpace, Minneapolis, MN

kibo@world.std.com (James "Kibo" Parry) writes:

> 						-- a JP who
> 						isn't John Palmer.

And don't think we don't appreciate that factoid!
--
Roy M. Silvernail --  roy%cybrspc@cs.umn.edu - OR-  cybrspc!roy@cs.umn.edu
                   "I'm a family man, model citizen."
                                      -- Warren Zevon
Newsgroups: alt.fan.john-palmer,alt.religion.kibology
From: kibo@world.std.com (James "Kibo" Parry)
Subject: Re: looking for a female JP to perform a weddin
Organization: Two rooms filled with typography, in downtown Boston
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 06:48:03 GMT

[from austin.flame]
In article <1993Jan21.140744.4169@rpp386> jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) writes:
>In article 3375@devnull.mpd.tandem.com, dwelch@mpd.tandem.com (Dan Welch) writes:
>>My fiance and I are looking for a female JP to perform a wedding ceremony
>>in April.  Does anyone have a recommendation?
>
>I thought in this new, more inclusive Clinton administration that race,
>creed, or sex didn't matter?  Surely a MALE JP is just as QUALIFIED ...

I'm JP and I'm certified (in more ways than one.)  Also male.
I don't know about John Palmer.  Regarding certification, I mean.

						-- a JP who
						isn't John Palmer.

Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: damiene@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Eccles)
Subject: Re: Herne the Hunted (annotation request)
Organization: Monash University, Melb., Australia.
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 01:42:03 GMT

ma_blase@csd.uwe.ac.uk (Fox) writes:

>Eccles (damiene@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au) wrote:
>> ma_blase@csd.uwe.ac.uk (Fox) writes:
>> 
>> Anyone thought also that the White Hunt might have something to 
>> do with Herne. Consider also the legends of the actaeon, stag
>> headed hunter of the forest - hunter of humans that is.
>>

>Possible but this is just one of the many corruptions which has infiltrated
>into the legend.  Still, I'll check it out tonight.

Well, most of my details comes from T$R :) unfortunate, but
I haven't read a lot of celtic mythary.
> 
>> Eccles aka Danae Sidhe will return
>No she won't.  She robbed a drug store and high tailed it to Mexico
*grin* Shoosh

eccles
From: a_weitz@pavo.concordia.ca (WEITZMAN, ANDREW)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Canadian Pratchett orgs
Date: 25 Jan 93 17:41:00 GMT
Distribution: can
Organization: Concordia University
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

I've heard of Octarine in the FAQ.  Is there a Canadian counterpart?

--Andrew--
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: nealk@maths.tcd.ie (Neal Kidson)
Subject: Reaper Man & sundry
Organization: Dept. of Maths, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 17:34:03 GMT

I know its been out for a long while but I realy have to say that IMHO 
Reaper Man is the best DW book I've read so far, particularly the
bits with Death in it (i.e. the entire book). I like the idea of
auditors of reality. 

Thats my pennysworth,

Neal

P.S. I've never heard of The Unaldulterated Cat.
     Can someone PLEASE tell me what its about??!?
 
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: nudnik@camelot.bradley.edu (Steven Parks)
Subject: Re: Pratchett SFBC number wanted
Organization: Bradley University
Date: 26 Jan 93 03:54:08 GMT

In <C1FAoA.55D@da_vinci.it.uswc.uswest.com> twood@windward.it.uswc.uswest.com (Tim Woodward) writes:

>  I need the Science Fiction Book Club numbers for any of the Terry
>  Pratchett books that they offer. If any one could supply this information
>  I would be grateful. 

i happen to have _not_ lost mine this time, so here they are:

Terry Pratchett

The Colour of Magic.....061994
Equal Rites             139311
Guards!  Guards!        185488
The Light Fantastic.....111542
Mort                    148387
Moving Pictures         196535
Pyramids................180372
Reaper Man              000547
Sourcery                160101
Wyrd Sisters............174706

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Good Omens..............176313
--
English law prohibits a man from marrying his mother-in-law.  This is our         idea of useless legislation.  --  Anonymous
Steven Parks  (309) 677 1271
SnailMail: 1312 W. Main #104 Peoria, IL USA 61606 
E-Mail:  nudnik@camelot.bradley.edu    or    nudnik@buhub.bradley.edu
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: lsmith@myria.cs.umn.edu (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
Subject: Re: My tuppence                         
Organization: Higher Education Squids of the Poor
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 05:20:42 GMT

In article <memo.886964@cix.compulink.co.uk> tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk writes:
>We call universities storehouses of knowledge.  This must mean that knowledge
>builds up within universities.
>
>Talk to someone before they go to university, and it's clear that they know
>everything about everything.  Talk to them just before their finals, and they
>admit to knowing damn all about anything.  They've added to the university's
>store of knowledge, see?

The effect becomes more dramatic when you look at students who go on to
work on graduate degrees. The old folk table goes something like this.
(Units are American. European conversions available.)

Freshman (first day)     Knows everything 
Senior (last day)        Knows a good deal within his area of study
Masters (writing paper)  Knows a little about a narrow area
Doctoral (during thesis  Is sure that he knows absolutely nothing what so ever 
          defense) 

(I could expand this to tenured professors, but that would probably get 
 me in a whole lot of trouble with a close family member.)

------------------------------
  Lance "Cr2O3.2H2O" Smith   | "According to several witnesses, the first words 
    (lsmith@cs.umn.edu)      |  of the Team Planters rider after his collapse
 Identify the reference and  |  were, 'Put me back on the bike.'"
  appear in a future .sig.   |      _Mr Peanut and the Blue and Yellow Jersey_
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: whippy@dcs.warwick.ac.uk (Whiplash)
Subject: Re: Just a long note *&)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Warwick University, England
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 17:48:26 GMT

In article <1k67nbEINN97h@uni-erlangen.de> uhschreg@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Ulrich Schreglmann) writes:
>>	   course, am much more original in my choice of "whippy", the origins
>>	   of which allude you for the present *&) 
>
>I can vaguely imagine something, and I don't like it.  :-)

In that case you undoubtedly imagine wrong *&)

>>	3) Have you any connections with Coventry whatsoever?
>
>WE certainly didn't send him there.
>

hehe

>>	5) Do you wear black leather underwear as well or do you get it from
>>	   Marks & Spencers like us mere mortals?
>
>Again there's this imagination I don't like.  :-)
>

And again this imagination is quite wholesome and misunderstood *&)

		~Whippy the pure hearted

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
* \^/ |-| | |' |' \/  *	csufl@csv.warwick.ac.uk	      csupt@csv.warwick.ac.uk *
*   		  /   * whippy@dcs.warwick.ac.uk   newwords@dcs.warwick.ac.uk *
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
From: uhschreg@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Ulrich Schreglmann)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Size of Europe (was: Herne the Hunted)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 12:26:32 GMT
Organization: Student Pool, CSD, University of Erlangen, Germany
NNTP-Posting-Host: faui09.informatik.uni-erlangen.de

tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett) writes:

>The bit which really creased up the (British) audience when
>I saw it was when Robin comes ashore at Dover and says something like
>"Gazooks, we will be at my father's castle ere nighfall!"  Um.  In a Porsche,
>maybe.

You don't mean to say Europe is actually larger than 100 miles in diame-
ter, do you?  What then would be the use of a wooden sign in an untarred
road in the middle of Austria, pointing to Berlin one way and to Venice
the other?


The Cool Is Back!  And Now He's Brought His Daddy!

(C)OOL mcmxciii
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: rsholmes@rodan.syr.EDU (Rich Holmes)
Subject: Re: Merchandise Etc
In-reply-to: dkf11@cl.cam.ac.uk's message of Fri, 22 Jan 1993 16:33:39 GMT
Organization: Syracuse University
	<1993Jan21.170615.24069@ugle.unit.no>
	<1993Jan22.163339.22791@infodev.cam.ac.uk>
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 93 17:18:02 EST

In article <1993Jan22.163339.22791@infodev.cam.ac.uk> dkf11@cl.cam.ac.uk (Donal K. Fellows) writes:

>If the base was fractional,
>you would be completely unable to represent the results of simple
>arithmetic (In base sqrt(8) what is 1+1+1 ?)

10.0110010120020210210021...

Got a problem with that?

(Check it: 1 x sqrt(8)**1   = 2.82843...
         + 1 x sqrt(8)**-2  = 0.125       total is 2.95343...
         + 1 x sqrt(8)**-3  = 0.04419...  total is 2.99762...
         + 1 x sqrt(8)**-6  = 0.00195...  total is 2.99957...
         + 1 x sqrt(8)**-8  = 0.00024...  total is 2.99982...
         + 2 x sqrt(8)**-9  = 0.00017...  total is 2.99999...
etc.)

Granted it's not quite as simple as 1+1+1 = 3 or 11 or whatever, but
it's no more unrepresentable than sqrt(8) is in base 10.

--
- Rich "mcmxciibo" Holmes
"Grown men, he told himself, in flat contradiction of centuries of
accumulated evidence about the way grown men behave, do not behave
like this." -- Douglas Adams
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: dkf11@cl.cam.ac.uk (Donal K. Fellows)
Subject: Re: Schleppel Model
Reply-To: dkf11@phx.cam.ac.uk
Organization: U of Cambridge Computer Lab, UK
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 11:50:26 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.075112.11015@aston.ac.uk> Edward Julian Craft <e.j.craft@aston.ac.uk> writes:
>
>Yeah, I've got a model of Schleppel. It's right here on my desk next to
>my Macint.....
>
>..... hey, where's it gone ?

You have to watch out for thieves these days. They really love
stealing Macs or memory modules out of them.....

Needless to say, it wasn't me as I hate machines with only one button
on the mouse.... :)

Donal.
--
If the opinions above are anyone else's, that's their problem.
From: car-a@minster.york.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: FOX
Date: 26 Jan 93 17:24:03 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of York, England

From ma_blase@csd.uwe.ac.uk 
Article 3691 of alt.fan.pratchett:
>From: ma_blase@csd.uwe.ac.uk (Fox)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Friar Tuck
Date: 25 Jan 93 11:17:02 GMT
Organization: University of the West of England, Bristol
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

In <727462427.3634@minster.york.ac.uk> car-a@minster.york.ac.uk writes:
 
>And another thing, how come all those space aliens out there call
>thier planet Zak or Quargotron or Jpimpzxx, not Earth or Home or
>something a bit more logical like that?  And why do there names 
>always contain rather too many Zs and Qs and Xs?  Probably so's
>they can get very high Scrabble scores.

Nope, wouldn't work.  Propper names you see.

Mike
-- 
 |\_/| F  "The only way to hold onto something is with a closed fist so
 \O O/ O   no theiving git can nick it.  A shotgun helps too..."
  \o/  X					     - Ebeneezer Goode


-- My original posting included such an escape clause...

`8)

Cheers,

 Chris.

|***car-a@minster.york.ac.uk*************************BEEP(1,5)***|
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: twood@windward.it.uswc.uswest.com (Tim Woodward)
Subject: Re: Witches Abroad now available in US
Organization: U S WEST Information Technologies
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 17:27:30 GMT

In article <pfritsch.727847689@skid.ps.uci.edu> pfritsch@skid.ps.uci.edu (Paul Fritschle) writes:
>Got a copy tonight at Waldenbooks.. saw it at Dalton as well. Only on
>page 20, and it is already hilarious!!!
>


  I got my copy last weekend, unfortunately my wife grabbed it and is
  reading it first. I did notice that where they print the authors name
  at the top of every lefthand page, it is spelt Terry Prachett. This
  made me look through my other books and in Moving Pictures it is spelt
  Terry Pratchet. Some proofreader they must have at Roc!

  Tim Woodward
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett)
Subject: Endless Discworld                       
Cc: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:59:00 +0000

I've had one of thoese mailings hwere the author says, why not answer in
a.f.p rather than privately 'cos other'll want to know...so...

Question was: do the publishers force me to write DW books? (the subtext
being, we'd like you to do other stuff). And the answer is, no, you can't
work like that. It works the other way round -- I say I'm planning two more,
they say, fine, here's a contract.  The DW is sufficiently big and vague that
it can cover Small Gods and Eric, so I've got a wide field to work in.
But...I'll say here again...the days of twice-yearly DW books have probably
gone. I'm still planning to write them regularly, in fact publishing
schedules might end up bringing out two in a year, but I want to do other
stuff as well. The fact is that each DW book sells more than the one before,
and the backlist sales keep on rising.  I don't write DW _because_ of this,
but it suggests that there's a readership out there.  I can't imagine how
anyone can be _forced_ to write a book.

Terry
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: arc@leland.Stanford.EDU (Andrew Richard Conway)
Subject: Re: Loyalist Opinions
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 04:59:45 GMT

In article <C18AI4.GC2@brunel.ac.uk> cs92njc@cyrillus.brunel.ac.uk.ac.uk writes:

[ More discussiona about personal favourites, mentioning liking Moving
Pictures especially, but not Pyramids]

Well, time to air my opinions on the latest books (where's that soap box?)
	- Moving Pictures: my all time DW favourite. Especially the
		scene where Dibbler gets the idea of sharks.
	- Pyramids: The best time travel story I have ever read,
		with the possible exception of Julian May's series.
		But Pyramids is much funnier :-) Especially the 
		opening scene where Teppic falls over.
		Most time travel stories are unmitigatedly stupid.
	- Witches Abroad: Very good, especially Granny.The ending
		scene (with the fight) was very powerful. The card
		game was also magnificent.
	- Lords and Ladies: not nearly as good as Witches abroad,
		though still worth getting. A disapointment.
	- Small gods: Better than L&L, but not up to MP,Pyr or WA.
	- Guards Guards: Very good. I can't wait for GG II.

Brief comments on earlier ones:
TCOM - Enough to get me to look casually for Light Fantastic
Light Fantastic - Enought to make me a TP fan, but still not as good
	 	  as the later ones
Sourcery - Great, also interesting if you don't have a sense of humour.
Equal Rites - The best of the early ones
Mort - Good.
Eric - Mediocre.

Comments on other books:
Carpet people: Interesting, too similar to Nomes trilogy.
Nomes trilogy: Great. Especially the book of Nomes.
OYCSM: Childish (but what did I expect).
Unadulterated cat: Fun, but short and uninspiring.

GOOD OMENS: My all time favourite book. By miles.


Andrew Conway,
Australian missionary in California, trying to teach the savages about TP.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett)
Subject: Favourite books : The solution ?        
Cc: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 00:16:00 +0000

But those people of the American persuasion haven't seen anything after
Reaper Man...so are you going to weight the results?

Terry
From: meachem@acsu.buffalo.edu (The Meach)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Favourite books : The solution ?
Date: 24 Jan 93 22:55:31 GMT
Organization: UB


In article <memo.889482@cix.compulink.co.uk> tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk writes:
>But those people of the American persuasion haven't seen anything after
>Reaper Man...so are you going to weight the results?

Ha!  Those people of the American persuasion [or at least with American 
addresses ;-)] who haven't seen anything after Reaper Man just don't understand
the Right Way To Get Things Done!

Isn't favourite book a rather subjective concept?  At least, in terms of 
drawing any significant conclusions.  For example:

To the person out there who said he wasn't particularly keen on _Eric_:

1) You have obviously never worked for the State University of New York

2) You may well be too young to have seen a foreign movie with subtitles and
lots of French umbrellas. . .

     "Mother, I'm pregnant."
     "But, how could that have happened?"
     "In the usual way."

3) You are most certainly not acquainted with a certain person who _must_
have sat for Josh Kirby's drawings of Eric. . . [who will probably now not send
me another TP book, ever! ;->]   

--Jo
Now reading WA, and wondering *why* people think TP doesn't know me to say
"Boo!" to, when that is *precisely* what he wrote in my copy of L&L!
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: dkf11@cl.cam.ac.uk (Donal K. Fellows)
Subject: Re: Herne the Hunted (annotation request
Reply-To: dkf11@phx.cam.ac.uk
Organization: U of Cambridge Computer Lab, UK
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 14:02:49 GMT

In article <1029325.79900.6550@kcbbs.gen.nz> Stuart_Foster@kcbbs.gen.nz (Stuart Foster) writes:
>> I still want to know how they got that great curved sword out of the  
>> scabbard that was thinner at the top than the blade.....  
>>  
>  
>Was it a magic sword ??  

No. It was inflatable....

Donal.
--
If the opinions above are anyone else's, that's their problem.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: wald@theory.lcs.mit.edu (David Wald)
Subject: Re: Magrat's Huge Tracts of Land
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 17:09:27 GMT

In article <RSHOLMES.93Jan25165911@mothra.syr.EDU>
rsholmes@mothra.syr.EDU (Rich 'mcmxciibo' Holmes) writes:
>
>Yes, on the US _Witches Abroad_ cover, Magrat really does have a
>chest. And a low-cut dress and a pretty face. Quite a stunner, in
>fact, if you don't mind grass-green hair.
>...
>(In fact, the only way to assign identities to the other two witches
>is to note that one is looking at a broken mirror and the other has a
>cat...

which is much too small, ginger, binocular, and cute to possibly be
Greebo.

I don't know; I think this is a picture of three *other* witches.
Anyone know who they are?

-David
--
============================================================================
David Wald                                           wald@theory.lcs.mit.edu
   "Blessed are the peacocks, for they shall be called sonship of God"
             -- Matt 5:9, from a faulty QuickVerse 2.0
============================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: dkf11@cl.cam.ac.uk (Donal K. Fellows)
Subject: Re: Merchandise Etc
Reply-To: dkf11@phx.cam.ac.uk
Organization: U of Cambridge Computer Lab, UK
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 16:33:39 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.170615.24069@ugle.unit.no> eyvind@Lise.Unit.NO (Eyvind Bernhardsen) writes:
>In article <RSHOLMES.93Jan21103728@rodan.syr.EDU>, rsholmes@rodan.syr.EDU (Rich Holmes) writes:
>>>128   64   32  16   8   4   2   1
>>>  0    0    0   0   1   0   0   0   =8  (Original poster)
>>>  0    0    0   0   0   1   0   0   =4  (barretpj)
>>>
>>>Well, I think that says it all, really, doesn't it? ;)
>> 
>> Not really. Who said "00000100" was in binary? Could have been base
>> sqrt(8), now couldn't it?
>
>Could it?  Can you have fractional bases?  Is this why I failed my math exam?
>

Fractional bases are completely nonsensical. You count using the
cardinal numbers, and there is no way that any cardinal number when
multiplied by itself will give eight.

There is lots of high-level discrete mathematics dealing with all this
stuff, and I am sure that you can find a book or two on them.

The main purpose of bases are to multiply digits by to represent their
actual values (ie. in base 2, you multiply the second digit from the
right by 2, the third by 2*2, ad nauseam). If the base was fractional,
you would be completely unable to represent the results of simple
arithmetic (In base sqrt(8) what is 1+1+1 ?)

However, this is getting boring, so I'll stop. :) :) :)

Donal.
--
If the opinions above are anyone else's, that's their problem.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett