[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Can anyone explain this news to me?

https://thesaxon.org/giorgia-meloni-...rime-minister/

I see no difference.

Italian is a gendered language.

Giorgia Meloni is Italy's first woman prime minister, but she is choosing to refer to herself using the masculine form of her new title - sparking a debate on the issues of female empowerment and political correctness.

In Italian, names can take a masculine or feminine form and Meloni's formal title of "Presidente del Consiglio" was preceded by the masculine article "il", rather than the feminine "la", in the first statement issued by her office on Sunday.

While a trailblazer for women in Italian politics, she heads a far-right party and is not known as a feminist: she opposes female quotas in boardrooms and parliament, arguing that women should rise to the top through merit, and appointed just six women to her 24-strong cabinet on Friday.

The Accademia della Crusca, a guardian of the Italian language, has said using the feminine for positions held by women is the grammatically correct choice.

Link

This is quickly becoming a pile of poo. Highly recommend not to dig further

[tilt]

*SNIP*

What this translates to is a very steep learning curve,*SNIP*

I see many people labouring under this same misconception.

A steep learning curve means the exact opposite of what people expect it to mean. It means that the amount learnt is a lot in a very short amount of time. A steep learning curve is a good thing.

On a graph the X axis denotes the time spent or taken; and the Y Axis denotes the mount of knowledge gained. Therefore a steep curve mean the Y Axis rises much fastr than the X Axis, meaning knowledge gained rises quickly with a small amount of trime spent.

A shallow learning curve on the other hand indicates that a lot of time is needed to gain even a little knowledge.

Cheers

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by tilt

I see many people labouring under this same misconception.

A steep learning curve means the exact opposite of what people expect it to mean. It means that the amount learnt is a lot in a very short amount of time. A steep learning curve is a good thing.

On a graph the X axis denotes the time spent or taken; and the Y Axis denotes the mount of knowledge gained. Therefore a steep curve mean the Y Axis rises much fastr than the X Axis, meaning knowledge gained rises quickly with a small amount of trime spent.

But when you struggle really hard to scale something in a short time, isn’t that an arduous path?

A steep learning curve (per my understanding and usage) effectively means a process that is difficult to master at first, but once you get the hang of it, you realise that in spite of the initial hurdles, it was quite okay. And of course, since the curve is steep, the amount of time invested is obviously less.

[Thad E Ginathom]

This is my understanding too.

A steep learning curve means that one has to put a lot of effort into something before getting productive results from it.

An illustration of this from my own experience is the difference between editing raw photographs with Rawtherapy and editing jpegs with GIMP.

Both have endless possibilities with a huge choice of tools and one can spend many, many hours learning them. However, RT takes a lot more initial effort before getting good results.

I guess the difference is between being able to learn a lot quickly and having to learn a lot quickly.

However, this is not the first time I have heard my understanding being called wrong. Maybe what I am saying should be called a steep effort curve.

[mayankk]

I'd say that a steep learning curve implies that there is a lot of learning expected to be done in a relatively short amount of time.
Whether one is capable, or willing to do it, is the next step. People do not have a steep learning curve, which means it is not a good or a bad thing. It's just a fact more or less.

2-day course on the entire theory of relativity. That would have a steep learning curve.

[tilt]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

But when you struggle really hard to scale something in a short time, isn’t that an arduous path?

A steep learning curve (per my understanding and usage) effectively means a process that is difficult to master at first, but once you get the hang of it, you realise that in spite of the initial hurdles, it was quite okay. And of course, since the curve is steep, the amount of time invested is obviously less.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

This is my understanding too.

A steep learning curve means that one has to put a lot of effort into something before getting productive results from it.

*SNIP*

Originally Posted by mayankk

I'd say that a steep learning curve implies that there is a lot of learning expected to be done in a relatively short amount of time.
*SNIP*

My point, perfectly illustrated by you folks. I see now how this misconception springs - I mentioned the X and Y axes - all you have done is exchanged what each axis represents. Therefore, in your version of the graph, the time taken (Y axis) is high while the learning gained (X-axis) is low.

Here's some information

Cheers

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by tilt

Here's some information

The author equates fast with easy, and slow with difficult.

Steep learning curve indeed means learning a lot in a short time. Why? Because the learning is easy? Or because it is necessary before getting anything done.

Let me rephrase my understanding of a steep learning curve. Having to learn a lot of difficult stuff in a short time before being able to get on with the job.

Of course, one could take the same situation slow and easy, but usually, one either wants to, or must (eg in a professional situation) get on with whatever-it-is.

But hey, returning to my example, Rawtherapee, I am on a very slow learning curve*, which largely consists of not getting around to it, and making little progress when I do.

So we can make these "curves" work whichever way we want!

I think we are stuck with the metaphor, whether it satisfies technically or not, as it is commonly understood.



*I even spelt it wrong in my previous post! <blush>

[tilt]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

*SNIP*

I think we are stuck with the metaphor, whether it satisfies technically or not, as it is commonly understood.
*SNIP*

And this is why what you folks understand and your usage is 'right' and mine's not.

The language has evolved.

Cheers

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by tilt

The language has evolved.

I feel the pain: I'm usually on the other side of that line! Language generally does not evolve: it degenerates.

In this instance, though, I never remember the expression being used in the "right" way. I don't know, but I suspect that its origin is jargon from the techie world. And I suspect that "you guys are actually wrong about this curve" may even have been an afterthought.

You guys are actually wrong about this...

It's good to have some leeway. No, it isn't. Leeway is bad. Leeway can put you onto the rocks.

Any port in a storm. No, No, No... Entering a strange port in bad weather is the last thing that a sailor wants to do: the sailor would rather be further off shore!

As a Grumpy Old Brit who once sailed as a hobby, I found it fun to note how many English sayings have their origins in seagoing, and how many look as if they do but don't. But we're stuck with them.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Language generally does not evolve: it degenerates

Change is good, they say.

Time to ask: "Are you sure?"


(From an article in Financial Express)

SOONICORN!!!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Three complaints today!

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for people not knowing the difference between a disclaimer and a disclosure.

Disclosure: I do know the difference between a disclaimer and a disclosure.

A disclaimer denies something. A disclosure admits something.

==================================================

I wash my hands of everyone who thinks the expression is washing their hands off.

No. It isn't. Although it seems to have become accepted Indian-English usage. How mistakes become normalised.

==================================================

Compensation is to put right something bad. America seems to have adopted it as an alternative to payment. It isn't: but once again, usage rules.

(I was never paid anything like enough for the years I had to give to others to make my salary come anywhere near compensation )

==================================================

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Jerk = Change in acceleration with respect to time. [da/dt]

I see this made into a T-shirt too.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Samurai

In American TV News shows, I have noticed a trend in recent years. Instead of saying political calculations, they have started saying political calculus. Anyone who has studied calculus knows that calculation and calculus cannot be treated as synonyms.

Calculus (the Latin word meaning "stone") is adopted into English as-is to mean different things in different branches of knowledge. Its original purpose - as a counting mechanism in elections - is the source of the usage "political calculus". In medicine urinary calculus means kidney stones. Dental calculus is the plaque deposit that forms on teeth.

Even in mathematics/logic there are usages of calculus that does not mean "calculation of change". Propositional calculus, lambda calculus etc. are some of them. Ethicists have a whole set of usages for the word calculus that I've seen in their writings.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Samurai

In American TV News shows, I have noticed a trend in recent years. Instead of saying political calculations, they have started saying political calculus. Anyone who has studied calculus knows that calculation and calculus cannot be treated as synonyms.

Calculus is used in political science also - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_of_voting

Cost Benefit analysis is political calculus - https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...cal%20Calculus


Unrelated uses is also in medicine also - when there are deposits on your teeth, dentists call it calculus. Even kidney stones are called calculus.

Even in Maths, there are many other kinds of calculus other than Newton/Liebnitz calculus.

[comfortablynumb]

Rediff really needs to hire a proof reader or two. It's almost as if their writers are competing for a typo of the month award.