[smat]

Great post, the fusion of scale with unit is a mess.

When using it as a factor, for example when describing attenuation or amplification it is fine and can be used similar to percent. Though the author is right - it would be even more elegant to use scientific notation like 1e-4 in this case.

For using it as a unit it would really help to have a common notation for the reference quantity (e.g. 1mW).

But I guess there is no way to change it now that they are established since decades in the way the author describes.

[rocqua]

Scientific notation would be worse, because you can't add them to get the combined gain. That's where dB's really shine.