John:
I agree they made an error with kw, as opposed to the correct kW.
However, in the context of a journalistic style guide, which doesn't pretend
to be a guide to SI, I don't have any objection to their use of "abbreviate
to," especially as they don't refer to the result as "an abbreviation."
As for mega, they aren't referring to its use as a spelled-out SI prefix,
but to its use in the vernacular, as in "Wow, man, that's mega terrific!"
Looking at their guide overall, I'd say it was one of the better ones. An
improvement would be a comprehensive SI section, with the metric system
entry containing a cross reference to that section.
Bill Potts, CMS
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> Behalf Of kilopascal
> Sent: July 08, 2001 08:00
> To: U.S. Metric Association
> Subject: [USMA:14195] Guardian Style Guide
>
>
> 2001-07-08
>
> Check out the guardian style guide. Look up various metric terms
> and check
> for correctness. Note some examples below. Wrong use of symbol for
> kilowatt. Use of term abbreviate instead of symbol. don't use
> mega because
> it is "horrible". Maybe some one should contact hem and tell them their
> style guide is horrible.
>
>
> The Guardian also puts its house style guide on its website at:
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide/
>
> Under M for metric system:
>
> kilogram, kilometre, kilowatt
> abbreviate as follows: kg, km, kw
>
> mega
> horrible; do not use
>
> metric system
> The Guardian uses the metric system for weights and measures;
> exceptions are
> the mile and the pint.
>
> Since understanding of the two systems is a matter of generations,
> conversions (in brackets) to imperial units should be provided
> wherever this
> seems useful. Imperial units in quoted matter should be retained, and
> converted to metric [in square brackets].
>
> It is not necessary to convert moderate distances between metres
> and yards,
> which are close enough for rough and ready purposes, or small domestic
> quantities: two litres of wine, a kilogram of sugar, a couple of pounds of
> apples, a few inches of string. Small units should be converted when
> precision is required: 44mm (1.7in) of rain fell in two hours. Tons and
> tonnes (metric) are also close enough for most purposes to do without
> conversion. Body weights and heights should always be converted
> in brackets:
> metres
> to feet and inches, kg to stones and pounds. Geographical heights and
> depths, of people, buildings, monuments etc, should be converted,
> metres to
> feet.
>
> In square measurement, land is given in sq. metres, hectares and sq. km;
> with sq. yards, acres or sq.'s miles in brackets. The floor areas of
> buildings are conventionally expressed in sq. metres or sq.'s ft.
>
>
>
> John
>
> Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrt�mlich glaubt
> frei zu sein.
>
> There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely
> believe they
> are free!
>
> Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
>
>
>
>
