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> You shouldn't use the term at all. An order of magnitude is 10x, not
> 1x, 2x, or 3x. I googled the term and found the following definition
> and opinion, which I fully agree with:
>
> >From http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/orders.html -->
> Many pretentious writers have begun to use the expression "orders of
> magnitude" without understanding what it means. ...
>
> ... If you don't have a firm grasp on such concepts, it's best to
> avoid the expression altogether. ...
Yes, and moreover if your audience is not likely to know the term,
you probably shouldn't use it, even if you understand it. You can
if you really need it, but then you have to define and explain it.
Methinks very few thing make the writer look quite such a pretentious
fool as using technical terms he or she doesn't understand.
One that turns up fairly often is "negative re-enforcement" misused
to mean punishment. It actually means withdrawing a noxious stimulus.
The rat pushes the bar and the electric shock stops, so he's more
likely to push the bar again (the behaviour is re-enforced). This
is the exact opposite of punishment, where he pushes the bar and
gets a shock.
"Positive feedback" and "negative feedback" are also often misused.
See the archives for a discussion.
Anyone got other examples?
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