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2002-11-17
Isn't it amazing that people actually love to be
cheated? Or is it that the people who wrote you are either those who
benefit from the confusion, or don't do any shopping themselves and have to deal
with it?
Those who agree with you are the ones who will only give
lip service. Those who disagree will be the ones to fight any
change. Go figure! Until the bureaucrats hear from the silent
majority, they won't do a thing. Why not write up a petition and carry it
around with you. Everyone you meet can sign it. Maybe even get
people from the consumer organisations to endorse it and gett hem to pass it
around. Also, have it on your website and have people electronically sign
it. When (if) you get enough signatures, present it to your local and
federal bureaucrat(s).
Make it a point to mention that metrication was a promise
to make the market simpler, but if anything it made it more confusing. Not
because of metric, but because the old nonsense was not done away with
completely and rational packaging was either not enforced or never occured as
promised.
Maybe it is a pipe dream, but if American companies that
market their products in Canada are forced to use rational or semi-rational
sizes, it maybe a way to force those same sizes on the US market.
It can't hurt to try.
John
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, 2002-11-17 13:52
Subject: Re: New and improved One Metre
(Metric in Canada) web site
You must be a mind reader. I've had tens of e-mails from
pro-imperialists claiming that I'm just that... and communist whacko! I just
send a note back reminding them that they're "troglodytes" and leave it at
that. There's no changing their minds.
It is surprising how many people
I talk to agree that there should be just one system in the marketplace and
most those also agree that it should be metric since they believe that it's
the "modern" system. Now if only the bureaucrats would agree with
me...
I have long given up on believing that I can change the system,
but maybe my words will get lodged in a policy maker's subconscious and make a
difference.
ttyl,
greg
btw... I've added those "Under
constructions" tags.
kilopascal wrote:
2002-11-17
This statement from your site may explain why there is
resistance in the use of metric in the marketplace.
Today, over 30 years after the White Paper on Metric
Conversion, the marketplace is free to use imperial
units of measure. What makes this problem more serious with each passing
year is the fact that millions of Canadians have been educated
exclusively in metric system and have never been taught the antiquated
imperial system of measurement. For a more complete history see the
Canadian Metric Timeline .
The very fact that millions of people have no or a very
poor concept of FFU makes it that much easier for businesses to cheat the
consumer. Oh, the businesses may be honest when they package and
declare contents, but the relative dishonesty comes in when they know their
customer is not going to be able to figure out a bargain from something that
isn't. In addition to the use of FFU, more confusion is added when
metric sizes appear in "funny numbers" and if the old names are used, the
names are ambiguous, as they may in fact be US meanings of the terms where
Canadians are used or were use to British meanings.
What this amounts to is designed legal
confusion. These all fall under those bogey man terms of "market
forces" and "free market economy". That is where under theory the
"market", which is suppose to mean consumers, decides what is best for them,
but in reality means businesses do the deciding. Market forces really
means make it as difficult as possible, and still be legal, for the consumer
to figure out what he and/or she is really purchasing. Educating the
masses in one system and using a totally different system in business is
part of that plan.
Maybe Jim Elwell can write a thesis on this method of
business (if someone hasn't beaten him to it) and he too may get a Nobel
prize in economics. He can call it the Libertarian-Free
Market-Maximise your profits at the expense of the confused consumer
economic plan. Why not? That prize is worth a couple of million
Euros. And you become famous too!
Greg, Don't expect anyone to listen to you. Any
attempt to force the hand of business will be seen as an attempt to
interfere with the market's right to confuse you. And that would be
akin to totalitarianism. Do you want to be labelled as a communist
whacko?
John
> ----- Original Message -----
>
From: "metric" <
[EMAIL PROTECTED] >
> To: "U.S. Metric
Association" < [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
>
Sent: Sunday, 2002-11-17 12:32
> Subject: [USMA:23423] new and
improved One Metre (Metric in Canada) web site
>
>
>
> Thanks to some extra spare time (and three hour naps by my 11 month
old
> > son) the "One Metre" web site (formerly "Metric in Canada")
has received
> > a well earned retrofit.
> >
> >
I'm inviting USMA listserv members to take a look and provide any
>
> constructive criticism.
> >
> > Please send your
ideas to:
> >
> > Gregory Peterson: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > or
> >
> >
from the One Metre web site: http://members.shaw.ca/metric/
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> >
Gregory Peterson
> > Saskatoon SK Canada
> >
>
>
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