The only numbers I will ever spell are one and zero, and only when using them as a pronoun, or for emphasis, respectively.

Is there ever a reason to not to use symbols when dealing with numbers? Why would “fourteen whatevers” ever be preferable to “14 whatevers”. It’s just so much easier to read numbers as symbols, not spelled out.

(Caveat, not including multipliers, like “273 billion”).

  • PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    I like that you take this up just for fun 🙂

    And you provide valid arguments. As I was reading your response, I was thinking of how there can be multiple commas in a sentence but only one period. That fits your style.

    Yes I am in Europe and it’s not even standard here, for instance the Swiss use ’ as a thousands separator and I don’t know what they do for decimals.

    “My” European style is also used in Japan, and they use the metric system, but US voltage and plugs.

    We live in a messy world 🙂

    • MisterFrog@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      Swiss use ’ as a thousands separator

      TIL

      Appreciate your response friend. I look forward to a day where we standardise this, but we probably never will (and that’s probably fine haha)

      As cursed number formats go, India is the worst that comes to my mind:

      • European languages: 123,456,789 (groups of 103)
      • East Asia: 1,2345,6789 (groups of 104)

      Logical smooth sailing.

      • India: 12,34,56,789

      0_0 Why must you do this to me?

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_numbering_system