2002-12-24 I disagree! The metre is very close to the yard. Yards are not used in construction and manufacturing. It's use is limited.
If the foot and inch survive it is because they have not been effectively done away with. By this I mean elimination of devices that allow them to continue existing. You can never erase these units from peoples minds. As long as it is easy to convert from old to new and vice-versa, the old will be retained longer. Make it harder and the old either fades quicker, of the old unit becomes corrupted. There is no proof that in order to metricate we have to find units equivalent to the old ones. Those who don't want to learn the new will insist on something like this. Finding convenience in the new units comes with use and experience, something that will not happen if the old is clung to. Those who insist that inches and feet are more convenient have never used a millimetre tape long enough to get use to it. Most likely, they looked at it for 5 s, convinced themselves at one look it is too difficult and gave up. Even if we gave them the decimetre, the FFU-ists would still claim it is too small compared to the foot and too big compared to the inch. Let's ignore those who would fool us with such nonsense or else we will start to believe it is true ourselves. We need to convince the masses that once learned, SI is better. John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brij Bhushan Vij" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, 2002-12-24 19:57 Subject: Re: Millimetres, centimetres, and decimetres > Pat and all: > The reason 'yard and foot' have survived for so long was for TWO reasons: > (1) there was NO alternative to foot, like the *decimetre* and (2) mere > conversion and NO 'rationalisation' in day-to-day work got the better over > 'centimetre and metre'. > The measurements were NEVER brought to the common folk! > Brij B. Vij<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >
