I can understand the viewpoint that A4 paper and so on isn't metric, but I
don't agree with it. Something being metric has a lot to do with being
international, and having a simple & logical system behind it. It isn't
just about weights and measures, or just about factors of 10.
But I also understand that people (or a country) aren't always ready for
the whole package right away, and there are times when you have to ignore
part of that package for a while, while you get the basics going... and
add the details later. It would be helpful to ignore A4 paper until the
weights and measures part gets established first. Another thing to
consider is that the switch to A4 won't be hard when all the weights and
measures have already become metric. Trying to use A4 paper before
weights and measures are metric, is not a wise move! And unless you need
to send documentation outside of North America right away, knowing the
dimensions of A4 paper in inches is not helpful, because the system behind
the A0, A1... A4 sizes only makes sense in metric!
The bigger, and more important job right now (and which should receive
most or all of the focus) is metrification of weights and measures. Paper
size can be sorted out fairly easily when weights and measures have become
all metric.
Trevor
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
