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besson3c · Feb 6, 2009, 12:08 PM

I know this is old (from 2006), please don't timeline my ass, but I listened to this twice with my mouth agape. This is just f-ing crazy...

http://media.putfile.com/Verizon-Bad-Math

Either these people really are that stupid, or they are more interested in not acknowledging their mistake and risking the company's reputation over $71. They should be grateful that this person took the time to explain their problem to them, STFU and just correct their literature.

Still, it's mind boggling that the people this guy is talking to can't seem to understand the problem here. I did base 10 unit conversions in grade school, this really doesn't require a "mathematician" as they claim.

Maflynn · Feb 6, 2009, 12:48 PM

Yes, I saw that on the failblog. Its incredible that they could not see the difference between between $.002 and ¢.002

Big Mac · Feb 6, 2009, 01:00 PM

Yeah, that's hilarious - the second manager's attitude was really great too! Couldn't expect much more from Verizon, though.

SpaceMonkey · Feb 6, 2009, 01:16 PM

Back in the day, I shared this story with a friend who is a math teacher and we both had a laugh. Even though she teaches in high school, she said she could imagine having that conversation with many of her students.

olePigeon · Feb 6, 2009, 01:23 PM

Next stop, the apostrophe.

hayesk · Feb 6, 2009, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey

Back in the day, I shared this story with a friend who is a math teacher and we both had a laugh. Even though she teaches in high school, she said she could imagine having that conversation with many of her students.

Then she'd better do a better job.

Seriously, it's shocking how stupid these people are. Two parts of that recording that got me was the woman who said "you're entitled to your opinion" - suddenly mathematical fact is opinion!

The other was they still didn't get it after explaining that 1 dollar is not 1 cent, half a dollar is not half a cent.

Doofy · Feb 6, 2009, 02:08 PM

My chin is on the ground.

turtle777 · Feb 6, 2009, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I know this is old (from 2006),....

Here's the link to the original thread. Didn't go very far though.

http://forums.macnn.com/89/macnn-lou...esnt-know-how/

-t

besson3c · Feb 6, 2009, 05:14 PM

"Is 1 dollar the same as 1 cent?" "No"... "Is half a dollar the same as half a cent?" "No".... "Is .002 dollars the same as .002 cents?" "Yes"...

Big Mac · Feb 6, 2009, 05:21 PM

lol!

Eug · Feb 6, 2009, 07:32 PM

Cashier: So that's $1.94.
Eug: OK, here's $2.
Cashier: If you give me a penny, I can give you a nickel.
Eug: Uh, you own me 6¢.
Cashier: No, I owe you 4¢. If you give me a penny, I won't have to give you 4 pennies.
Eug: Not it really matters, but actually, you owe me the penny.
Cashier: No. You...

Etc.

hyteckit · Feb 6, 2009, 09:34 PM

No common cents.

TheoCryst · Feb 7, 2009, 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by hyteckit

No common cents.

I see what you did there.

tooki · Feb 7, 2009, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

"Is 1 dollar the same as 1 cent?" "No"... "Is half a dollar the same as half a cent?" "No".... "Is .002 dollars the same as .002 cents?" "Yes"...

The problem is simply this: in currency, people perceive the decimal as being a separator between discrete units, not as a decimal point. Kind of how we use a colon in durations of time, to separate units that aren't powers of 10 of each other. So whether you say "dollars" or "cents", they assume you are applying that unit name to what they feel is the appropriate side of the separator.

That is, when people see $xx.xx, they're not seeing xx.xx dollars, they're seeing dollars:cents, as if they were unrelated units.

Doofy · Feb 7, 2009, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by tooki

The problem is simply this

I'd have put the problem elsewhere, tbh. Like in the fact that the company employs utter morons.

I mean, everyone here knew what the guy was on about.
Mind you, everyone on the NN is at least twice as intelligent as the average bloke, so we could have an advantage.

besson3c · Feb 7, 2009, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by tooki

The problem is simply this: in currency, people perceive the decimal as being a separator between discrete units, not as a decimal point. Kind of how we use a colon in durations of time, to separate units that aren't powers of 10 of each other. So whether you say "dollars" or "cents", they assume you are applying that unit name to what they feel is the appropriate side of the separator.

That is, when people see $xx.xx, they're not seeing xx.xx dollars, they're seeing dollars:cents, as if they were unrelated units.

I think you're right, this is probably exactly where the confusion stemmed. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if this guy pointed out that the decimal is not a separator of units.

What is still weird to me is that this may not simply be some employees of theirs, but the actual Verizon literature that these employees quote from. You'd think that something like this would have been caught by somebody higher in their food chain. I know it's not a given that higher up = smarter, but this would still likely involve several sets of eyes at least.

Big Mac · Feb 8, 2009, 05:42 PM

The part where the "floor manager" conceded that half a dollar would be different from half a cent but then couldn't in the same breath recognize that .002 dollars would be different from .002 cents is what proves that the guy was dealing with sheer, outright stupidity. There's no way to defend that no matter how you look at it.