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Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

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Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#11

Post by NeoTar »

joppy wrote: post #10
jawns wrote: post #7

His argument about digital watches did not age well. My kids have known how to understand a digital clock since they were toddlers, but even now, in elementary school, they require entire lesson units in school on telling time from a clock face. Beyond that, he argues that pie charts tell us more about the relationship between things than tables of numbers, and a clock face is "the world's most perfect pie chart." Bu…

Are you sure this is not just the amount of exposure to each type of clock? On the other hand, I’ve noticed that children who understand how to read only digital clocks are quite capable of answering what the time is (just read the numbers right off), but have trouble telling how many hours there are from 10am to 3pm.

Great argument for using the 24h clock ;-)

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#12

Post by bin_bash »

nemo44x wrote: post #4
archerx wrote: post #2

From my experience in the media industry some producers/higher ups like making arbitrary changes to a work/show/whatever just so they can say they had an impact, or to say that they made that change at the end, most of the time it ends up making the final product worst.

Happens in music. Producer will make arbitrary change and now they are a co-writer and qualify for royalties.

Not quite the same thing. This phenomenon is how meddling managers like to make a decision simply so they feel useful, not for any material gain.

What you’re describing is “taking credit”.

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#13

Post by Tenoke »

archerx wrote: post #2

From my experience in the media industry some producers/higher ups like making arbitrary changes to a work/show/whatever just so they can say they had an impact, or to say that they made that change at the end, most of the time it ends up making the final product worst.

I've been annoyed at this but some of the changes are based on focus groups and other data suggesting that it will appeal to a larger portion of the local public when changed.

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#14

Post by _trackno5 »

llimos wrote: post #9
_trackno5 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny how we got downgraded into "smart watches" that barely hold a charge for a day and are good at everything other than telling the bloody time. Having an always on display is an actual feature nowadays lol

Why else would God have given you two wrists?

I don't know what you're trying to get at with that comment.

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#15

Post by sillyquiet »

e.g., Philosopher's stone -> sorcerer's stone.

Science-fiction and fantasy UK book covers were better too, which is another example of the same weird parochialism of the U.S. publishing industry as it was.

My probably unpopular opinion is that it's a reflection of a more general, largely un-self-aware New York City parochialism, which was where most of the big publishing firms were based, at least until the last decade or so.

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#16

Post by pikminguy »

jawns wrote: post #7

His argument about digital watches did not age well. My kids have known how to understand a digital clock since they were toddlers, but even now, in elementary school, they require entire lesson units in school on telling time from a clock face. Beyond that, he argues that pie charts tell us more about the relationship between things than tables of numbers, and a clock face is "the world's most perfect pie chart." Bu…

I think this is more of a "different people's minds work differently" thing than an age thing. Some people who grew up in the digital age still find analog clock faces more useful. Here's a short youtube video exploring that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZArBfxaPzD8 . I think Adam's mistake was assuming the preference for analog was universal which was probably wrong even when he first wrote the joke.

I think the argument could be made for a clock face being a pie chart if you think of it the way the host of that video does. The categories are "time left in the hour/day" and "time passed in the hour/day".

All that said I was really happy to finally understand what Adams was trying to say with that joke witch, as a person who finds digital readouts more useful, never landed for me before.

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#17

Post by boesboes »

jawns wrote: post #7

His argument about digital watches did not age well. My kids have known how to understand a digital clock since they were toddlers, but even now, in elementary school, they require entire lesson units in school on telling time from a clock face. Beyond that, he argues that pie charts tell us more about the relationship between things than tables of numbers, and a clock face is "the world's most perfect pie chart." Bu…

I'm 37 and have a hard time parsing clock faces, I remember having a hard time with it in kindergarten and they basicaly wrote it of as me being a little prick and refusing to do it right

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#19

Post by worker_person »

boesboes wrote: post #17
jawns wrote: post #7

His argument about digital watches did not age well. My kids have known how to understand a digital clock since they were toddlers, but even now, in elementary school, they require entire lesson units in school on telling time from a clock face. Beyond that, he argues that pie charts tell us more about the relationship between things than tables of numbers, and a clock face is "the world's most perfect pie chart." Bu…

I'm 37 and have a hard time parsing clock faces, I remember having a hard time with it in kindergarten and they basicaly wrote it of as me being a little prick and refusing to do it right

Same. I can do it. But not fast.

Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)

#20

Post by worker_person »

netsharc wrote: post #3
archerx wrote: post #2

From my experience in the media industry some producers/higher ups like making arbitrary changes to a work/show/whatever just so they can say they had an impact, or to say that they made that change at the end, most of the time it ends up making the final product worst.

I.e. "get rid of the duck": https://www.simplethread.com/looks-great-lose-the-duck/

I've used that trick on Fortune 500 CEO's many times. Almost never had any of my designs changed beyond whatever "duck" I put in.
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