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Quote: Add six zeroes for every step in size
Argument against: other scales change prefix every three zeros (kilo, mega, giga, etc.)
Another argument for: "bi" - twice as many, hence 12, "tri" three times as many, hence 18
You can choose one side but it's hard to argue that's more "logical".
Mircea
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Well, yes I can.
You don't have to agree, but that's another story. 
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Mircea Neacsu wrote: Another argument for: "bi" - twice as many, hence 12, "tri" three times as many, hence 18
Quad = 4 times as many...
Quadrillion = 10^24
Having 12 zeros for a billion is more consistent with the posterior numbers than having 9 zeros.
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
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No, not adding six. Either add three (short count) or double (long count).
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I had actually thought that the metric was squaring them...
Million = A thousand times thousand
Billion = A million times a million
Trillion = A billion times a billion
 
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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No. Not squaring. Raising to the power.
Billion=Bi million=million^2=10^12 zeros total
Trillion=Tri million=million^3=10^18 zeros total
Quadrillion=Quad million=million^4=10^24 zeros total
...(and so on)
You can think of it more easily using geometry. Assuming that your geometric shapes have all sides identical, and one side corresponds to one million (which is your base unit and has six zeros), a:
triangle=tri angle=three times the side=10^18 zeros total
quadrangle=quad angle=four times the side=10^24 zeros total
...(and so on)
I don't mention a "biangle" because that does not exist :P
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A billion of what?
It was only in wine that he laid down no limit for himself, but he did not allow himself to be confused by it.
― Confucian Analects: Rules of Confucius about his food
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A billion of zeroes, of course
GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto)
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In Spain and Germany (and AFAIK another countries in the EU) one billion are 12 zeros
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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17 zeros
111011100110101100101000000000
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Exactly one, as in 10^x. Or none with Ex.
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that's not a zero, it's a lowercase 'O'
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Browsing through the answers I still think 9 is the best solution.
Just a couple of Why:
1 - jives with scientific incrementation of values: every three orders of magnitude.
2 - much easier to say "billion" vs "thousand million", for example
This isn't about taking sides for national pride - it's about very consistent usage across multiple domains of information. I live in a Fahrenheit country but water boils at 100C to me (for example).
If you like these other forms, then why not remain consistent and write 1000,000000 instead of 1,000,000,000 (commas or dots as you prefer) ?
There are always alternatives and fans for them, nationalistic and otherwise, but the three-per-block is more sensible.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Use __int64 and don't care.
Software Zen: delete this;
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12 - it makes the most sense numerically and linguistically
...but I live in third world Texas, where such criteria is ungodly.
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Hex: 3B9ACA00
DEC: 1000000000
OCT: 7346545000
BIN: 00111011100110101100101000000000
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I say a parlement.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Reminds me of an old joke.
A certain US President was told that three Brazilian soldiers had died in a peacekeeping effort. He looked shocked, and after a while said "Remind me, how many is a Brazilian?"
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I'd say as many as you want. They don't contribute anything, so knock yerself out.
It's all the ones that add up to something.
I reckon a billion's got a thousand million of em.
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Is soy milk just regular milk introducing itself in Spanish?
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Leche me just think about that for a moment... 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.
Mark Twain
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It curd be - a latte though needs to be put into finding out whey. There's a halav* a controversy brewing here.
* Hebrew for milk
| Ravings en masse^ |
|---|
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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