Hi Adam,
The problem here lies not with you but with the average American who is almost totally ignorant when it comes to the 'mysteries' of the metric system.
The average (older) American doesn't know a centimeter from a centipede
or a millimeter from a millipede. They can't tell you which has more volume:
a quart or a liter (except for a few dedicated drinkers who figured it out at
the liquor store years ago when the distillers went through the conversion
process to metrics.)
There was a once a highly promoted national program that was meant to
educate Americans about the use of the metric system and then gradually
convert the country over to its use. If memory serves, it seems like that was
during the Kennedy administration. It was a rational and noble effort that
died on the vine because it brought the populace of our fair country together
like few things before or since. I well remember all the kickin', screamin',
shoutin', and hollerin' that the proposal caused. "Yessiree and by dang," they
shouted in unison, "the old methods of using inches, feet, yards, fractions,
quarts, gallons and the like were good enough for our forefathers, so by jingo,
they're good enough for us."
Well, the government cratered to popular will, therefore we're still building
and measuring things with a system of measurements that was created by
establishing the distance between the tip of the King's nose to the tip of the
King's thumb with his arm outstretched as being one yard (whatever that was).
The metric system is actually based on scientific reasoning and is incredibly
easier to use. It actually makes sense. I don't know what is being taught or
used in schools now, but I can only hope that the metric system is the
preferred system. If it is, then it's one of the few things that the feds had any
input on that was truly useful and right. But then that's a different can of
worms.
So, my recommendation to you is "stick with using the centimeter cubes as scale comparisons in your photos, and thereby force the boneheads to go out and buy a metric ruler." It'll be good for the economy and may give the knuckleheads a clue the next time they meet a centimeter or millimeter.
Just some thoughts from the west Texas wilderness,
Jerry
Adam Hupe wrote:
Dear List,
I must be missing something here. Using a 1 cm cube to give a perspective buyer some scale is considered by some a corruption of use? It tells a lot about this public forum when something as innocent as a scale provided in an image so that a perspective buyer can make an informed decision about the size of the object is somehow considered a scam. It makes the avocation so much more enjoyable. Just, what is proper scale etiquette?
Kind Regards,
Adam
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