Miscellany
Apr. 7th, 2015 11:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackRouter vs Modem
Did "router" always imply "including modem" or is that a change in usage that snuck up on me? It seems now the standard usage is to refer to a router, assuming it does both local routing with wireless and ethernet, and ADSL or cable modem-ing. Is that right? But I'm sure I remember modems and routers used to be separate?
Passover vs Easter
See my twitter for much theological discussion, including:
* Eat lamb as passover/easter?
* Is it heretical to believe Jesus was crucified with three nails rather than four; or pierced on the reverse side of his body by the spear? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclavianism
* My old "dummy's guide to passover" posts were useful! Except not, because they were entertaining but possible not a sufficiently accurate guide :)
How do I solve 2^{x} = x?
I keep seeing questions like this, that give a technically correct answer in terms of "rearrnage it like this, then that's so-and-so-'s function [see wikipedia], then you get an answer".
But seem to miss out what I think is the conceptually important information which is "you might expect that all equations can be solved in terms of simple functions you're already familiar with, ie. arithmetic functions, maybe simple trig functions, etc. But actually no, lots of functions can't be simplified into those. All you can do is find the name other people have used for 'the function which is the answer to this equation', and hence find out what they know about it. But that's not 'solved' in the way you were hoping."
Did "router" always imply "including modem" or is that a change in usage that snuck up on me? It seems now the standard usage is to refer to a router, assuming it does both local routing with wireless and ethernet, and ADSL or cable modem-ing. Is that right? But I'm sure I remember modems and routers used to be separate?
Passover vs Easter
See my twitter for much theological discussion, including:
* Eat lamb as passover/easter?
* Is it heretical to believe Jesus was crucified with three nails rather than four; or pierced on the reverse side of his body by the spear? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclavianism
* My old "dummy's guide to passover" posts were useful! Except not, because they were entertaining but possible not a sufficiently accurate guide :)
How do I solve 2^{x} = x?
I keep seeing questions like this, that give a technically correct answer in terms of "rearrnage it like this, then that's so-and-so-'s function [see wikipedia], then you get an answer".
But seem to miss out what I think is the conceptually important information which is "you might expect that all equations can be solved in terms of simple functions you're already familiar with, ie. arithmetic functions, maybe simple trig functions, etc. But actually no, lots of functions can't be simplified into those. All you can do is find the name other people have used for 'the function which is the answer to this equation', and hence find out what they know about it. But that's not 'solved' in the way you were hoping."
no subject
Date: 2015-04-07 11:03 am (UTC)I have a vague idea that ADSL routers have a longer history of being an all-in-one router-and-modem device, so perhaps the confusion of terms is more widespread in that area? But I would say that 'router' and 'modem' are still clearly distinct technical functions, even if colloquial usage is heavily informed by a lot of devices doing both at once.
no subject
Date: 2015-04-07 06:52 pm (UTC)I think the terms got confused when ADSL became popular.