On: “Free” shipping is not actually free

[jasode]

>, and our rates are nearly two orders of magnitude[1] less than those rack rates.

  $130 / 10 / 10 = $1.30

Did your workplace really negotiate UPS pricing such than you can send a 20 pound large package that's 36x18x24 across 2700 miles to be almost as low as $1.30?

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_magnitude

[jrockway → jasode]

I'm well aware of what the term order of magnitude means.

I've shipped things twice, in the shipping-company provided boxes. An overnight "medium box" between NYC and LA is on the order of $10. (Hence my "not quite" remark, it was technically more than $6 and for a smaller box. But shockingly cheap nonetheless.)

[lmm → jasode]

This is a programming site, logarithms can be assumed to be base 2 rather than 10 by default.

[hueving → lmm]

I have never once heard some use the phrase "order of magnitude" with a base 2 reference.

[Dove → hueving]

Oh, I use it that way from time to time. But I like to say "order of bignitude" to disambiguate binary. Also occasionally useful is "order of wordnitude" for millions / billions, etc.