Today my son asked me, “What is fahrenheit?” I was explaining to him that Fahrenheit is a scale used to measure temperature. There are different scales. The scientific community generally prefers celsius. In farenheigt, water freezes at 32 degrees. In celsius, water freezes at 0 degrees. So, a scale is a tool to compare things, and demonstrate the difference. A thermometer uses a scale to demonstrate temperature differences. There are other scales we use all the time. You can use a scale to measure the weight of an object. A ruler uses a scale to demonstrate distance, or length. You get the picture.
What kind of scales do you use as you go about your daily routine? Do you have a scale for the performance of your applications? Is it based on some standard? Or is it based on historical performance of your applications?
I can come up with my own scale. Let’s say I create a scale that says my foot is 42 long, and 18 wide. What good does that scale do for me? I can use it to compare my feet to other peoples feet. But, I can’t go to the shoe store and buy a pair of shoes using those measurements.The scale you choose is just as important as the truth it can present.
We constantly measure things without being conscious of it. We compare our knowledge to that of our colleagues. We compare our workplace to our peers. We compare our income, or benefits, and much more. We compare the software stacks we use, and the ones that are emerging. We compare one language capabilities to another. We compare database engines. We compare so much.
What scales would you say are important in your professional world? Why not leave a comment with your ideas?
Cheers,
Ben