Newsgroups: comp.std.internat,de.comp.standards,alt.folklore.computers,sci.lang,alt.usage.english
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!miner.usbm.gov!news.er.usgs.gov!jobone!news2.acs.oakland.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!newsxfer3.itd.umich.edu!howland.erols.net!EU.net!CERN.ch!hpplus10.cern.ch!flavell
From: "Alan J. Flavell" <flavell@mail.cern.ch>
Subject: Re: mho
In-Reply-To: <32F16510.5C9EAEC0@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>
X-Sender: flavell@hpplus10.cern.ch
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: hpplus10.cern.ch
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.95a.970131123635.27467A-100000@hpplus10.cern.ch>
Followup-To: comp.std.internat,alt.usage.english
Sender: news@news.cern.ch (USENET News System)
Organization: speaking for myself and not for CERN
Comment: I hate unsolicited commercial email - boycott companies that use it - and reserve the right to bill for use of resources.
References: <32C7046E.24F0@cs.purdue.edu> <5am68r$ftg@news.inforamp.net> <32CEEC6C.292B@cs.purdue.edu> <5arrmo$mlh@news.usf.edu> <32D1B8AE.36E3EE0A@swec.com> <32D1D53A.19B@hal-pc.org> <32D2B9B3.2279@cs.purdue.edu> <p.kerr-0801971408560001@news.auckland.ac <mcripps.141.02B003D1@mergetel.com> <32f33f36.1707932306@news.sci.fi> <ejones-ya023580003001971721520001@206.15.64.37> <32F16510.5C9EAEC0@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 11:45:12 GMT
Lines: 24
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.std.internat:7033 sci.lang:69564

On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, Boris Gjenero wrote:

> > Just a comment:  In 40 years of an electrical engineering career, at all
> > levels from junior technician to Vice President of an electronics R & D
> > firm -- I have never heard the term *millihertz* used.
> 
> Well, when the frequency is so low, it is natural to state the period
> instead.

In, for example, geomagnetic micropulsations, milliherz is a quite
normal and appropriate unit.

The misuse of upper and lower case letter prefixes seems (IME) very
common in USA usage.  MF (megafarads!) and mohm (millohms, apparently) 
seem just as common as milliherz, when in fact microfarads and megohms
were intended (as one can usually guess from context). 

This kind of abuse is also seen in GB, but I'd say less often.  One does
see uF or UF for microfarad, where no micro sign is available, but this
seems unambiguous, at least. 

I've no idea why this discussion is so widely cross-posted.  I've
set followups more narrowly.

