Mefi Jobs Says a Job is 17,000 Miles Away -- That's Geographically Impossible

October 9, 2006 2:14 AM

The MeFi Jobs distance calculator seems to have a bug...
posted by RichardP to Bugs at 2:14 AM (14 comments total)

Job ID 65 posted on October 8th claims to be 17,195 miles away from me. Since the absolute maximum distance should be 1/2 the Earth's circumference (~12,500 miles), the claimed distance of 17,195 miles is impossible. Perhaps the distance calculator has some sort of horizon bug (i.e. won't use a path that crosses the international date line, or something)?
posted by RichardP at 2:14 AM on October 9, 2006

California to New Zealand is a long swim to work. I wonder if it a problem with either the two points being in opposite hemisperes or if the calculator is going the wrong way around the earth.
posted by SteveTheRed at 3:11 AM on October 9, 2006

Maybe it's at the top of a really tall mountain?

In case you really wanted to know, the real distance between LA and Auckland is about 6508 miles (10474 km). Not including finding a parking spot and making your way through airport security.
posted by Plutor at 4:58 AM on October 9, 2006

Since the absolute maximum distance should be 1/2 the Earth's circumference (~12,500 miles).

To be really pedantic, the max distance is the Earth's diameter (7,926 miles).
posted by smackfu at 7:25 AM on October 9, 2006

Would you have applied had it only been 12,500 miles away?
posted by MrMustard at 7:50 AM on October 9, 2006

"To be really pedantic, the max distance is the Earth's diameter"

Because people travel through the centre of the Earth.
posted by cillit bang at 7:52 AM on October 9, 2006 [1 favorite]

One way to prove you really want a job.
posted by smackfu at 7:53 AM on October 9, 2006

Um, it's about circumference, not diameter. The earth is ~26,000 miles around, right? Opposite spots are 13,000ish miles away. Seems right to me.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:59 AM on October 9, 2006

17,195 > 13,000ish
which, I believe, is the basis of the question at hand.
posted by carsonb at 8:15 AM on October 9, 2006

Gravity Train!
posted by mbrubeck at 8:54 AM on October 9, 2006

bummer, finally a job posting in NZ and I'm not qualified.
posted by edgeways at 8:58 AM on October 9, 2006

The Auckland job shows as 20,242 miles away from me.
posted by scottymac at 10:26 AM on October 9, 2006

Um, it's about circumference, not diameter. The earth is ~26,000 miles around, right? Opposite spots are 13,000ish miles away. Seems right to me.

mathowie, you appear to be agreeing with me that the maximum distance for any job should be 13,000 miles. Are you saying that the MeFi jobs distance calculator is functioning correctly? As I mentioned, MeFi Jobs is currently reporting a distance of 17,195 miles for the job #65.
posted by RichardP at 2:00 PM on October 9, 2006

Distance calculation formulas
posted by smackfu at 1:26 PM on October 11, 2006