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On January 21 2012 00:46 ZasZ. wrote:
So much ignorance in this thread (mostly from Europeans).
Is the metric system simpler? Hell yeah. For someone who has never seen either system, the metric system would be much more intuitive and easier to pick up.
That doesn't change the fact that everything in the U.S. is based on the imperial system. Just as an example, the state of Colorado is split up into 1 mile by 1 mile squares called Sections that are used everyday by the farming and water resource community to denote where things are. There are millions of official court documents that have locations based on Section and narrowed down by feet and decreed water resource amounts in gallons per minute (gpm) or acre-feet (af).
And this is just my particular profession (water resources planning). Others may rely on the imperial system more or less than I do on a daily basis, but even a gradual switch to the metric system would completely break the infrastructure in a country that is already not in a great place.
What is the big fucking deal if Americans are the only people on the planet who use this system? How does it affect your daily life? It seems most Europeans are at least comfortable with the imperial system, because they keep rattling off how 5280 feet in a mile doesn't make any sense (and it doesn't). But it's what we use, get over it.
There are plenty of professions and industries where the imperial system is still used, even in Europe, for precisely the reasons you mentioned: old standards and conventions that are hard to convert. So let that not stand in the way of conversion of the rest of the US to metric for day-to-day life :-)
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On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard
okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? 
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Russian Federation367 Posts
Russians using metric only. Most of us dont even know how to use standard.
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On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't?
My understanding is that 3 countries in the world officially use the Imperial system.
In my opinion that makes those countries abnormal.
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On January 21 2012 00:56 Rannasha wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 00:46 ZasZ. wrote:
So much ignorance in this thread (mostly from Europeans).
Is the metric system simpler? Hell yeah. For someone who has never seen either system, the metric system would be much more intuitive and easier to pick up.
That doesn't change the fact that everything in the U.S. is based on the imperial system. Just as an example, the state of Colorado is split up into 1 mile by 1 mile squares called Sections that are used everyday by the farming and water resource community to denote where things are. There are millions of official court documents that have locations based on Section and narrowed down by feet and decreed water resource amounts in gallons per minute (gpm) or acre-feet (af).
And this is just my particular profession (water resources planning). Others may rely on the imperial system more or less than I do on a daily basis, but even a gradual switch to the metric system would completely break the infrastructure in a country that is already not in a great place.
What is the big fucking deal if Americans are the only people on the planet who use this system? How does it affect your daily life? It seems most Europeans are at least comfortable with the imperial system, because they keep rattling off how 5280 feet in a mile doesn't make any sense (and it doesn't). But it's what we use, get over it. There are plenty of professions and industries where the imperial system is still used, even in Europe, for precisely the reasons you mentioned: old standards and conventions that are hard to convert. So let that not stand in the way of conversion of the rest of the US to metric for day-to-day life :-)
We already do that. At least in the schools I went to, Imperial and Metric were used almost equally. Imperial because there are things in this country that will always be done in that system of measurement, and Metric because it is the system that most of the sciences and the rest of the world uses. But as far as I know, this was a relatively recent development when I was in school. If they're doing it in elementary schools now, it means that the next generation will be able to instantly visualize things in metric (which I cannot do, a kilometer is an alien thing to me until I think about how many feet it equates to).
For some reason we buy our soda in liters, but our milk in gallons. I can only assume that more products like that will lead to a conversion for the general public, but too much of the infrastructure is based on the Imperial system, meaning it will never die. I just don't really see why so many Europeans are venomous about the system. Yeah, it's silly in hindsight, but it's what we've got.
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I couldn't imagine the logistical difficulties of replacing every statistic, every last sign with metric. It would take years, if not over a decade even with a massive effort. More without focusing our resources.
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On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't?
Britain is not a European country.
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well when u go into a shop buying milk in standard u just buy by liters so it's not a problem to have 400ml :p and well when i look to the imperial system ... when i hear someone something like "i'm 5'9" feet tall " and watch him with a line of feet next to him and i still don't see much how tall is it xD
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On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country.
well, geographically it is, from what I know
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On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country.
Then what is it? An island in the Atlantic?
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I disagree with the OP , Standard is not inchees and other craps, it's the MKSA system.
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On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country.
So Britain being a member of the European Union doesn't mean they're a European country?
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Ooooh a wikipedia link. Please drop some knowledge on me.
Yeah, a conversion error was made. It's common knowledge that people fuck up on a regular basis. If people are incompetent enough not to account for that, they are incompetent enough to make a mistake regardless of what system of measurement they use.
Still not worth spending billions (maybe trillions) of dollars and years of time making a permanent switch.
Thanks for your one-line, no content response though.
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On January 21 2012 01:19 Rannasha wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country. So Britain being a member of the European Union doesn't mean they're a European country?
No, that doesn't mean they are a European Country. Being part of the British empire doesn't mean you are British. And EU is not even a monetary or fiscal union. So no.
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I use imperial because I live in the US but metric is better. It's easier to calculate, but imperial won't go away. Imperial has evolved over a long period of time and every country has had their own standard version at a point in time, but the metric system was actually invented. Like in a physics book I once read "no one in their right mind would invent the imperial system."
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On January 21 2012 01:42 scaban84 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 01:19 Rannasha wrote:On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country. So Britain being a member of the European Union doesn't mean they're a European country? No, that doesn't mean they are a European Country. Being part of the British empire doesn't mean you are British. And EU is not even a monetary or fiscal union. So no.
Lol dude, stop making a fool out of yourself!
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On January 21 2012 01:54 DenSkumle wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 01:42 scaban84 wrote:On January 21 2012 01:19 Rannasha wrote:On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country. So Britain being a member of the European Union doesn't mean they're a European country? No, that doesn't mean they are a European Country. Being part of the British empire doesn't mean you are British. And EU is not even a monetary or fiscal union. So no. Lol dude, stop making a fool out of yourself!
actually it does mean exactly that. they're part of the same continental plate and of the same political union. so yes, they are.
but I guess its a "don't feed the troll"-scenario? <.<
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On January 21 2012 01:54 DenSkumle wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 01:42 scaban84 wrote:On January 21 2012 01:19 Rannasha wrote:On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country. So Britain being a member of the European Union doesn't mean they're a European country? No, that doesn't mean they are a European Country. Being part of the British empire doesn't mean you are British. And EU is not even a monetary or fiscal union. So no. Lol dude, stop making a fool out of yourself!
I understand that Europeans consider Britain to be Europe. But British people do not consider themselves European. I am not making a fool of myself, that's just the way it is. Is the Azores Islands a European country? They are part of Portugal so you might say say yes. You can also say no because they are not part of the European Continent.
Falah I understand your pride got hurt by being contradicted but there is no need for troll accusations. Just admit to yourself that you learned something new and move on.
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On January 21 2012 01:42 scaban84 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2012 01:19 Rannasha wrote:On January 21 2012 01:13 scaban84 wrote:On January 21 2012 00:56 FalahNorei wrote:On January 21 2012 00:51 Cejotas wrote:
In a normal country, Metric is standard okay, now please explain why an european country with the exception of britain is normal, and US isn't? Britain is not a European country. So Britain being a member of the European Union doesn't mean they're a European country? No, that doesn't mean they are a European Country. Being part of the British empire doesn't mean you are British. And EU is not even a monetary or fiscal union. So no.
Just in case your are serious, any backup to the statement? Mine is here:
(see map to the right)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Northern_Ireland
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EPT
