On Mon, 07 Oct 2002 14:31:07 Jim Elwell wrote: ... >I'm afraid I do not see this as an accurate analogy. Presumably the >government would not require the new fire-protection system unless the new >one better protected lives or property. > >There is no issue of lives or property at stake, nor even minor fraud or >cheating, with the scale. It is merely that some people prefer kilograms, >and don't want the Metric Martyr to be able to use a pounds-only scale. > Hmm... Not completely. What if for certain applications there would be technical difficulties involved in keeping the crappy old units, then what?
If scientists are starting to get *very worried* about the aging of the kilogram artifact in Paris and other places it's because this issue may not be as 'minor' as you may think, Jim. Have you ever stopped to think about that? >Let me turn it around: would you support the government requiring that all >commercial fire systems be replaced using metric pipe? It has the same >immediate benefit to the user (i.e., none), and it is costly. Why do it? >Why allow the government to force it to be done? > Provided they'd have *strong irresistible* reasons to do so, an enthusiastic YES, I definitely would, Jim! :-) >On the other hand, if I were building a new manufacturing facility today, I >would be looking very carefully at whether I would want colloquial or >metric pipe. I know that in 20 or 30 years that metric will be the norm, >and it will be easier to maintain the system using metric pipe. > >As some point the Metric Martyr's scale would wear out. If that is, say, 10 >years down the road, then what will he do? All the scales he will be able >to buy in England will be metric or dual-labeled. He might be able to find >a pounds-only scale in the US and import it, if he is willing to go to the >expense and effort, but then he will be paying the price for bucking the >metric trend. And, as years go on fewer and fewer people will want do deal >with him, since he won't sell in kilograms. > >Without any prosecution of this guy, without spending huge amounts of >English taxpayer funds, without making a martyr of him, he would have faded >away. He would have died or retired, or his scale would have worn out, but >it was never a problem that should have ever been anything other than a >grumpy old man trying to live in a world that has passed him by. > >Sadly, the English people had their taxpayer dollars wasted, he had his >right to live in peace destroyed, and the anti-metricationists in the USA >have been given some ammunition for their cause. > Quite interesting line of thought, Jim. But I see some holes in it (forgive me...). Firstly, your first paragraph. Sadly enough the problem is that for years businesspeople ARE ALREADY aware of this, yet they choose to do NOTHING about it! Your second paragraph. If they decided to stick with stupid old technology they would cry out loud and do everything they could to stifle progress by harassing market scale manufacturers to even *demand* (if they can) that they backpedal and go back to producing obsolete technology (sounds familiar? No, how about the TADB hypocrites?... ;-) ). If they're powerful enough they may end up getting their way! As a consequence, your third paragraph does not hold unfortunately. On the other hand, had the gov taken strict firm policies to see its strategic plan to completion and these companies would simply have to have complied, "or else"! Assuming they'd decide to "stay in business" they would have a very different fate from the one you portrayed. Guess what they'd most likely NOT go out of business after all! At least, not over this silly issue! ;-) I'd prefer to see this as the gov also doing its part to make sure co's would have the best chance of surviving and securing jobs in the industry (a nice "collateral damage" to their policies!... :-) ). Finally, I'm not sure the catastrophic scenario you depicted in the last paragraph would have materialized... :-) I'd prefer to think that it would have been money very well spent! If I were the CEO of a company involved in this process I would certainly have chosen to cooperate fully and get on with my life! :-) Marcus Is your boss reading your email? ....Probably Keep your messages private by using Lycos Mail. Sign up today at http://mail.lycos.com
