cities, databases parallel thread

From: Emlyn O'Regan (emlyn@one.net.au)
Date: Sun Sep 10 2000 - 12:04:32 MDT


Here's the challenge; say something useful about the purpose of the CBD, and
put your two cents in on Spike's data storage problem, in the same message.
Feel free to add more parallel topics, and raise the stakes...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Spike Jones" <spike66@ibm.net>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 2:35 AM

> > Emlyn O'Regan wrote: Is it so important to be
> > geographically close to my complementors, and my competition?
>
> They steal each other's employees.

I guess so. But then, the workers have to put up with crappy conditions
(commuting, parking, or expensive living). I guess it's desirable; a city
gives you lots of job opportunity in a confined area. In turn, a city gives
you lots of potential employees in a confined area.

Funny thing is, if you spread it all out a bit, commutes would probably take
just as long in the worst cases (longer distances, but faster travel because
of emptier roads, so less agravation), no parking hassles (and costs),
cheaper housing near work (which cancels out the commute quite often). I
just can't really grasp the sense of the mega high density city as a place
to put a knowledge-based business. But then, I haven't worked in the city
for a long time now; can't remember what those elusive benefits are.

I can understand it if you live in Singapore, for instance, or Macau, but I
don't get it in a country like Australia, or the US for that matter. There's
space. The cars are fast; build a few more highways.

Personally I love a dense city; they're interesting places to be in,
stimulating. But they are really irritating if you have to fight your way
through them every day.

>
> New topic please: those of you who use databases, please advise
> me here. For prime number research I have been using microsloth
> excel for database tasks, but it only holds 65535 lines per sheet
> and it gets overwhelmed if you start using multiple sheets with
> the entire 65k-lines. I need a means of storing info on about
> 300,000 primes, along with about 8-10 other pieces of info about
> each one. How now? spike

Here's the MS Party line:

You could use MS Access to cope with data of this size; it'll groan a
little, but it'll do the job just fine. Make sure you've got a bit of spare
disk space, and put an index on whatever you are going to search by; this
may prevent you considering mass homicide later on. Any version of Access
except versions 1 or 95 will do.

Or, you could always pop it in a table in Word, if you are feeling reckless.
I don't know how you'd ever get it out again, though.

Emlyn



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