You may argue that writiing 2024 as "MMXXIV" and not "ⅯⅯⅩⅩⅣ" is a mistake but while typists who'd use "2OlO" for "2010" (because they grew up using cost-reduced typewriters) are dying out, you'll never get everyone to use the appropriate Unicode for Roman numerals.

[–] oo1@lemmings.world 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Even if they did use unicode, any codeset , glyph or language changes over time , ulimately they emerge out of communication, not the other way round.

If some culture decides they want to use the glyph "2" to mean a word "to", they can and will, and no codeset is going to stop them. And if they get their message to their intended audience it doesnt matter that somebody else's isnumber fuction get's it wrong.

A person, community or standard codeset or dictionary cannot deny the accuracy or content of encrypted communication just because they can't decipher it.

Put another way a more robust isnumber() should maybe have a second argument to specify the codeset being used, and maybe whether written words - in some defined languare - are also to be converted

On the other hand "1/4/12" is not a fucking date.

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

"1/4/12"

Excel is going to have a Date with you, and it's not asking further questions. If you didn't wish to consent to have your col'n shattered, you should have preceded it with a '.

[–] oo1@lemmings.world 2 points 3 months ago

yeah, I've been rohypnolled by both microsoft and oracle, and general cloud shit , and various co workwers so many times now i barely even notice.

Hilariosly excel has recently started asking now, I think it says something like: "I've just fucked up several columns in your csv that you went to the bother of enquoting." "Do you want me to reload it and i'll try to un-fuck a few of those columns? ( whispers to audience - but probably not all of them - tee hee)."

I think my employer just needs to employ 25-50 more "delivery" managers and empower them to spend millions on a prettier barrel for us to bend over, that'll solve it. Maybe it'll have flufffy handcuffs.

[–] Contravariant@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Wouldn't surprise me if even Unicode advices against using Roman numerals depending on meaning.

It was mostly a joke (though frankly if you try any implementation more complicated than that joke you're going to have a bad time).