Dear Han, I have interspersed some remarks.
on 2002-12-28 19.18, Han Maenen at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > You may be right and obviously it worked in Australia. But it never worked > in Britain. Although my experience is limited to talking to builders in Yorkshire, I was under the impression that they were struggling with centimetres. As they put it, they were most uncomfortable 'slithering decimal points back and forth'. > It seems that in that country metrication using centimeters > works better than with millimeters. Are you saying that metrication in Britain has been a success in the building industry? > The big great stumbling block for > metrication is what happens in the retail trades. True, this can be an impediment to metrication progress. But what I'm talking about in the Australian building industries is the rapid change of mindset from ifp to metric using the simple set of millimetres, metres, and kilometres. Once Australian carpenters, plumbers, and electricians had a millimetre mindset they were able to wade through the thick morass of delusions usually set up by competent traders; remember it is always in the interests of traders to use confusing measuring methods � 'twas ever thus. > In the Netherlands hundred > of 'metric martyrs' have been prosecuted in the 1820's and 1830's; and we > all know what is still going on in Britain today. I think martyrdom was fairly fashionable in that period � metrication was only one of many possible excuses. > It paralyzed Canadian > metrication. Again, let us consider metrication in Canadian building trades. Are you saying that metrication in Canada was a success or a failure so far. > The main reasons why it took so long in France was once again > severe resistance in the retail trades by shopkeepers Let me repeat, competent traders know that it is always in their interests to use confusing measuring methods � dual and preferably quadruple measuring methods are their specialty. > and consumers alike I agree that many customers are committed to a 'no change' policy. You can regularly hear the refrain, 'I don't want to change my mind. It is set in the same way as my grandfathers, and I don't want to change my mind'. > and an anti-metric ruler, Napoleon, who had this hellish Systeme Usuel > invented in 1812. Napoleon was first and foremost a politician. In his early days he supported the metric proponents because he felt that that was where he could gain most support. Later he listened to the shopkeepers message, 'Give us complexity' and the consumers (called mob at the time) who chanted, 'I don't want to change my mind. It is set in the same way as my grandfathers, and I don't want to change my mind'. > Then there was a lot of political turmoil in France and at > last came 1837-07-04 that saved the metric system from the same fate that > time reforms had suffered and started its take off into the world. I suspect that it was simply time that allowed the success of the metric system, in France, in 1837. The forces of simplicity and common sense had time to work over the two generations that fifty years provides. In 1837, the 'mesures usuelles' were still pretty much the same mess of the 'ancien regime' that French traders had been able to produce and to maintain for centuries. These days a group dedicated to confusion in measurement in trading might be called something like TABD. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Geelong, Australia
