dream_weasel ,

What century is it if the year is 500? First century. What about if the year is -500 (500 BCE)? It's the first century BCE. You have now arrived at US numbering of "floors". Now which century is zeroth? It doesn't make sense to ask, just like having a floor numbered "zero". This might be why the ground floor is not special to us.

Are we on the number line, or counting the spaces, or counting additional layers? It's an arbitrary question or distinction, but it seems like it should be labeled somewhere in the elevator!

Timecircleline ,

All I learned from this thread is that the word "floor" looks wrong to me now, on so many levels.

Piemanding ,

Yes, but we are asking how many levels.

perviouslyiner ,

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Countries_numbering_floors.svg/440px-Countries_numbering_floors.svg.png

Red has first floor = ground floor. Blue has first floor above ground floor.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storey

toynbee ,

But how are floors counted in Antarctica?

XEAL ,

I agree with the UK one as in Spain we do pretty much the same.
https://lemm.ee/pictrs/image/125d9fcd-a250-405d-bd97-f49e01136b0a.webp

whotookkarl ,
@whotookkarl@lemmy.world avatar

0 index versus 1 index, the classic counting collections conundrum.

lud ,

Imo the first floor should be the ground floor and the floor above that is the second floor.

frazorth ,

It's okay to be wrong.

lud ,

I'm pretty sure that format or where the first floor is labeled "1" is the most common where I live.

Labeling the second floor the first floor is frankly insane.

Edit: or maybe we do call the second floor the first floor. Not sure. Still stupid though but it's not as stupid in my language because we don't say "floor" but if you're going to say floor you should count the actual floors.

frazorth ,

Not stupid in the slightest.

Basement -1

Ground 0

First floor 1

Second floor 2

It makes sense to me, but it's also what I'm used to.

lud ,

The ground floor has the first floor in the building though.

jordanlund ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Look at the buttons in the elevator. ;)

Typically:

1, 2, 3, 4 or
G, 2, 3, 4 or
L, 2, 3, 4

Where "L" = "Lobby".

NeatNit ,

As others have said, in many countries it'd be:

0, 1, 2, 3 or
G, 1, 2, 3 or
L, 1, 2, 3

Edit: also, bold of you to assume there's an elevator!

Devi ,

In some UK buildings lifts go G, M, 1, 2, 3

Apepollo11 ,

I think it depends on the convention used in each country, so there isn't one global correct answer.

In Britain the convention is Ground, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor.

LesserAbe ,

TIL. Living in the states I thought the answer is obviously that the ground floor and first floor are synonymous.

VulKendov ,
@VulKendov@reddthat.com avatar

Not really. The only time I've personally ever seen a ground floor is at a hospital. Where the entrance on one side is a floor lower than the other side.

marquisalex ,

Makes sense for numbering floors - ground is zero. How many floors should there be between -1 and 2?

dream_weasel ,

If you're presuming ground is zero then you've told us the answer you want already. Are you numbering the floors or numbering the stories? That's the real question.

What century is it if the year is 500? First century. What about if the year is -500 (500 BCE)? It's the first century BCE. You have now arrived at US numbering of "floors".

Now which century is zeroth? It doesn't make sense to ask, just like having a floor numbered "zero". This might be why the ground floor is not special to us.

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