computers and alphabetization

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Author	Topic: computers and alphabetization
Felix Havoc Punk Posts: 1629 Registered: Sep 2000	posted 11-20-2002 08:36 PM OK, this may seem petty but here it goes. I thought that when you alphabetize stuff (like at the record/book store/library etc.) you spelled out numbers like 666 is filed under "S" and 411 is filed under "F". But computers seem to always put numbers ahead of the alphabet. So when you get say a list of records in the mail "2 live crew" and "2112" are at the top of the list instead of where they would be if you wrote out the numeral. Am I right on this? Is this fucked up or what? IP: Logged
Clyde Punk Posts: 1271 Registered: Apr 2001	posted 11-20-2002 11:46 PM Logic (ala Excel) dictates that numbers trounce letters. Unless 2 Live Crew is Two Live Crew it's going to be at the top of the list. I think Three Doors Down is actually spelled out so it would fall alphabetically, but Ocean's 11 would fall before Ocean's Eleven. Don't ask me when it happened, but it did. Coincidentally, where would you file Dr. Feelgood or Mr. Magoo? IP: Logged
Reno Punk Posts: 1460 Registered: Jun 2000	posted 11-21-2002 12:50 AM Easy DOCTOR Feelgood....MR. Magoo. Duh. IP: Logged
Finn McCool Punk Posts: 500 Registered: Jul 2002	posted 11-21-2002 02:31 AM Computers do what they're told. Blame the lazy programmers who never learned about lexicographical ordering. (At least some programs are smart enough not to list everything starting with "The" in the T's.) IP: Logged
Felix Havoc Punk Posts: 1629 Registered: Sep 2000	posted 11-21-2002 08:07 AM I just think it's fucked up that apple and microsoft think they can fuck with the English language. It's gonna be here long after they are gone. That's fucking hubris man. IP: Logged
Kubler Punk Posts: 700 Registered: Jan 2002	posted 11-21-2002 12:45 PM you wouldn't argue that numbers are more important than the english language? maybe the most simple example owuld be: i may not know the word for cerveca in dutch. but i walk into a pub in and hold up two fingers, chances are i'll get a drink for both my friend and myself. numbers are everything. IP: Logged
Finn McCool Punk Posts: 500 Registered: Jul 2002	posted 11-21-2002 01:13 PM Um, computers have been sorting text poorly since long before Apple and Microsoft existed. The first ASCII standard put numbers (and punctuation marks) ahead of letters back in 1963. I still blame the lazy programmers, though. IP: Logged
Vrooman Punk Posts: 588 Registered: Nov 2000	posted 11-21-2002 01:32 PM quote: Originally posted by Finn McCool: Um, computers have been sorting text poorly since long before Apple and Microsoft existed. The first ASCII standard put numbers (and punctuation marks) ahead of letters back in 1963. I still blame the lazy programmers, though. I prefer that my programs are lazy. As a rule, I find assuming programs to be more annoying. Numerals before letters, what's wrong with that? Clash, The <> The Clash IP: Logged
Ollie Stench Admin Posts: 2386 Registered: Jan 2002	posted 11-21-2002 02:15 PM quote: Originally posted by Vrooman: Clash, The <> The Clash But on my very sturdy, Felix-built record shelf I file my Clash bootlegs under "C" for "Clash", not under "T" for "The" Clash. IP: Logged
Finn McCool Punk Posts: 500 Registered: Jul 2002	posted 11-21-2002 03:26 PM Does "T.Rex" go at the front of the T's (before, say, Tangerine Dream) or in the middle (near, oh, I dunno, Triumph) or possibly toward the end, as if "Tyrannosaurus" were spelled out? IP: Logged
Fry Punk Posts: 509 Registered: Nov 2001	posted 11-21-2002 07:20 PM Programmers are lazy. They just sort stuff according to the code that corresponds to the letter. Each character has it's own number and shit. It turns out it goes numbers, then the letters in alphabetical order. Someone could put out a little effort to translate the number to letters. But programmers are fat lazyasses. My question is, why is the alphabet in the order it is in? IP: Logged
Evil Angel Punk Posts: 1662 Registered: Jul 2002	posted 11-21-2002 07:33 PM At my job, we name each of our pages as page number. We can't name it "1", we have to name it "01" or "001" depending on the total pages. IP: Logged
Finn McCool Punk Posts: 500 Registered: Jul 2002	posted 11-21-2002 08:09 PM Yup, more lazy programming. "10" ends up between "1" and "2". And the alphabet is in that order because of the song. IP: Logged
steef Punk Posts: 3278 Registered: Jan 2002	posted 11-22-2002 09:17 AM quote: Originally posted by Finn McCool: And the alphabet is in that order because of the song. It all just comes down to music in the ebd, right? IP: Logged
Clyde Punk Posts: 1271 Registered: Apr 2001	posted 11-22-2002 02:47 PM Wait, which song? ABCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXYZ - Now I know my ABCs... or ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, It's the most remarkable word I've ever seen. IP: Logged
Ollie Stench Admin Posts: 2386 Registered: Jan 2002	posted 11-23-2002 12:59 PM quote: Originally posted by Finn McCool: Does "T.Rex" go at the front of the T's (before, say, Tangerine Dream) or in the middle (near, oh, I dunno, Triumph) or possibly toward the end, as if "Tyrannosaurus" were spelled out? I have T. Rex filed in the front of the "T" section. It would be at teh end if they were all Tyranosaures Rex, and they'd be in the middle if it were T (no period) Rex. IP: Logged
Finn McCool Punk Posts: 500 Registered: Jul 2002	posted 11-24-2002 05:29 PM Fascinating. So "T.Rex" would be right in front of "T.S.O.L." at the head of the T's (before or after "T'Pau"?), while something dotless like "UFO" would be mid-U. And what of "a-ha"? Before or after "Abba"? IP: Logged
crack up Punk Posts: 152 Registered: May 2000	posted 11-24-2002 06:16 PM and what of Mr. Mister? IP: Logged
Ollie Stench Admin Posts: 2386 Registered: Jan 2002	posted 11-24-2002 08:14 PM quote: Originally posted by Finn McCool: Fascinating. So "T.Rex" would be right in front of "T.S.O.L." at the head of the T's (before or after "T'Pau"?), while something dotless like "UFO" would be mid-U. Exactly. The . (period) denotes a seperate word, whereas UFO, although an abreviation for something, is considered one word. If it were U.F.O. it would probably go in the middle of the "U" section. quote: And what of "a-ha"? Before or after "Abba"? Before. Although I don't believe I own either a-ha or ABBA records (I'll have to look, as "Hunting High And Low" is a pretty good new wave/pop record), but the hyphen acts the same as a period. If it were aha it would go before Air Supply and after Agrumh or Agnostic Front. Also, I file A Split Second under the "A" section, not the "S". It contradicts the rule of "The" not being filed under "T", but what can ya do? IP: Logged
Finn McCool Punk Posts: 500 Registered: Jul 2002	posted 11-24-2002 08:21 PM quote: Originally posted by Ollie Stench: It contradicts the rule of "The" not being filed under "T", but what can ya do? Well, sure, you can't put "The The" in front of everything. IP: Logged
cHaOsPuNKgIRL Punk Posts: 662 Registered: Jun 2001	posted 11-25-2002 06:41 PM wow. I was up all night last night organizing slides of my artwork in my computer for a presentation I have to give on Friday. I was wondering why I couldn't make it stop going 1. , 11, 12.........2., it was really frustrating and stupid. On the other hand, my roomate and I ended up laughing ourselves into a frenzy, when i discovered this program on my computer where you can talk, and it echoes what you say back to you in a disguised voice! You can speed it up or slow it down, or type whatever you want it to say. It even expresses whatever it is you say by typing exclamation points or question marks, etc. We were making my computer have slurred drunken orgasms. Too bad everyone has caller ID's these days..... [This message has been edited by cHaOsPuNKgIRL (edited 11-25-2002).] IP: Logged
cHaOsPuNKgIRL Punk Posts: 662 Registered: Jun 2001	posted 11-25-2002 06:47 PM ...which made me remember this one time when me and my aunt (we're close in age) we living on the indian reservation one summer and we were using my keyboard to record our voices, and then play it back really slow and low, sounding like a drunk serial killer. We then proceeded to crank call the girl working at the Qwik Mart until about two a.m. making off like we were a drunk old man who won't stop saying "I love you" Finally the BIA got on the phone and said they traced our phone number and they were on our way to our trailer. We got into a lot of trouble. Especially since my Grandpa was the chief of the BIA. IP: Logged
Trazadone Punk Posts: 1061 Registered: May 2002	posted 11-26-2002 10:44 AM love that the number come first. i alphabetize all day and when i can just stash those numbers in a pile and forget about em, it's fun! IP: Logged

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