Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: On the use of -ve and +ve...  (Read 816 times)

Andir

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
On the use of -ve and +ve...
« on: January 22, 2010, 10:10:21 am »
Today someone at work tried to tell me that +ve is a common convention for "positive" and -ve is commonly used for "negative" in documents.

I personally have never seen it and a rather quick internet search netted me few results.  Is this something being taught in college courses as shorthand for positive/negative?  Wouldn't it jsut be easier to use +/- ?

My personal opinion on the matter is that it's like saying "NIC Card" or "PIN Number" where you have a redundant word or letter.  They look like negative've and positive've to me.
Logged
Quote from: Sergius on September 27, 2009, 02:08:49 pm
"Having faith" that the bridge will not fall, implies that the bridge itself isn't that trustworthy. It's not that different from "I pray that the bridge will hold my weight."

eerr

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: On the use of -ve and +ve...
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2010, 10:25:58 am »
Are you sure it was shorthand for plus and minus, rather than "positive" and "negative"?
Logged

Cheeetar

  • Bay Watcher
  • Spaceghost Perpetrator
    • View Profile
Re: On the use of -ve and +ve...
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2010, 10:36:37 am »
I believe he is sure that it is supposed to be shorthand for positive and negative, and is confused at the shorthand -ve and +ve, because - and + already mean negative and positive and don't need the 've' part.
Logged
I've played some mafia.

Quote from: mainiac on October 14, 2016, 11:55:54 am
Most of the time when someone is described as politically correct they are simply correct.

Muz

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: On the use of -ve and +ve...
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2010, 10:45:39 am »
+ve = positive
-ve = negative

Yeah, that's how it works with electrical engineering, at least where I learned it. The problem with +/- is that it's a little misleading if you ever put arithmetic in there. "Connect to + of battery"

You can be not lazy and write the full words, but everyone knows that engineers and mathematicians just love to short form everything.
Logged
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.

Andir

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: On the use of -ve and +ve...
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2010, 02:26:10 pm »
Quote from: Muz on January 22, 2010, 10:45:39 am
+ve = positive
-ve = negative

Yeah, that's how it works with electrical engineering, at least where I learned it. The problem with +/- is that it's a little misleading if you ever put arithmetic in there. "Connect to + of battery"

You can be not lazy and write the full words, but everyone knows that engineers and mathematicians just love to short form everything.
I always thought that's where the parenthesis and/or quote form came from.  My father is an electrician and went to college for electrical engineering... I've see him use (+) more often than anything.  It seems to separate the symbol from the sentence.  Even quotes for "+" would be a better choice if you ask me.
Logged
Quote from: Sergius on September 27, 2009, 02:08:49 pm
"Having faith" that the bridge will not fall, implies that the bridge itself isn't that trustworthy. It's not that different from "I pray that the bridge will hold my weight."