Debate/Poll: Metric or English?

[Arvon]

Frankly both systems suck. The metric was designed because the French could only count with their fingers. Actually neither system is computer compatable. Remember that computer can only use binary. But binary is dificlut to use so we can use octal or hexidecimal. In fact the most efficient system is the duodecimal system (base 12). So smoke on that for a while.

[Epona]

Many people here in England still use Imperial measurements, although by European law goods have to be sold in metric (the only exception being pints of beer in a pub LOL). Some shopkeepers who refused to change got fined as a result recently.

Roadsigns are in miles, speed limits are in mph, road signs show miles or yards. Beer is sold in pints in the pub. Recipe books give both grams and ounces. Most goods are now sold in kg, but you can still go into a shop and ask in lb and oz, the shopkeeper will convert it. Temperatures are most commonly Celcius, but older people tend to prefer Farenheit if they are more used to that. Often you see temperatures/weights/measurements given in both Imperial and Metric.

So we're a bit of a mixed bag here.

What others have said is quite correct - the metric system is French - originally one metre = one ten millionth of a quadrant of the earth, and one kilogram = the mass of a cubic decimetre of water. These definitions date from 1799, and have been tinkered with slightly since for accuracy.

And Imperial gallons are different from American gallons.

[ 12-25-2002, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: Epona ]

[Night Stalker]

Originally posted by Yorick: quote: Originally posted by Night Stalker: As an American, I say neither

You say neither, I say nythah. Let's call the whole thing off.[/QUOTE]LOL [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img] exactly

[Talthyr Malkaviel]

Just making a point, the system with feet and inches.. guess what, it's called imperial here.. now, why would Britain call something like that imperial, it's not like there was ever an empire or anything... no.
[img]tongue.gif[/img]
But more sriously, I find base ten that little easier but I can easily use both, in fact often a mix, I will measure many things in metres, but then I'll tell people my weight and height in imperial.

[ 12-25-2002, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Talthyr Malkaviel ]

[Aelia Jusa]

Having only really experienced metric I have to say it makes more sense to me - imperial et al having all those 12s and 20s

In Australia nearly everything is metric and most people, even like older people who had to switch from imperial use it, especially for distances and so on. BUT babies' weights are always given in pounds and ounces! Also people tend to give heights in feet and inches. I suppose the height thing because everyone knows that 6 feet is 'tall' so if you say you're 180cm it's not so obvious.

[Davros]

So what is your height in metric Aelia? [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Sir Goulum]

Originally posted by Talthyr Malkaviel: Just making a point, the system with feet and inches.. guess what, it's called imperial here.. now, why would Britain call something like that imperial, it's not like there was ever an empire or anything... no. [img]tongue.gif[/img] But more sriously, I find base ten that little easier but I can easily use both, in fact often a mix, I will measure many things in metres, but then I'll tell people my weight and height in imperial.

I find thats what I do, but only the exception of weight and height, because saying 5'6 is much easier than 159 cm for example [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[kev]

Australia changed totally to metric in 1974. I drive a 1972 holden ute so I have to have AF spanners in inches. My previous car was a Toyota 4wd which required metric spanners in mm. Before that I drove Triumphs which were in inches too but they were sae imperial inches which were not the same as AF. I also have whitworth & bsb spanners which I rarely use these days but were also in inches.
What I am really trying to say is that the old system was not uniform. A 3/8 spanner could have been any of 4 measurements. If I pick up a metric spanner that says that it is 10mm it is in fact 10mm.
The arguement about American & Imperial measurement is a serious one. Because they are both often different they create a lot of confusion. For this reason they should be abandoned for the system used in science that is very simple for anyone to use.
Is a pint 440ml or 600ml?
Why isn't a US Gallon the same as an imperial Gallon?
Why bother answering the above questions when you can just go to a more sensible system?

[Sir Taliesin]

The State of Tennessee dictated that all roadway design plans would be in metric about three years ago. That lasted about one year, because they found they had to pay more for road construction. Estimators and contractors used the conversion to charge more money, because their laborers and heavy equipment operators didn't handle the transition very well.

I have to say that many Civil Engineering firms had to spend a lot of money as well. All our standard drawings had to be changed and re-drawn and all our specifications had to be re-written. It eventually cost the State a ton of money and they ended up abandoning it after about a year.

Personally, I voted for Metric. I'm not a computer and I like thinking in base ten as opposed to a binary or oct-what-ever or base 12!

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas!!!

[Lanesra]

I went into a shop over here recently and asked for 2 pounds of apples, the shop keeper said he only sold Kilos, fine I said ..give me two pounds of Kilos then!