Sigh... Interesting that we're still discussing this issue of mm, or cm or whatever. It looks like folks keep forgetting that ideally in a metric world:
1. Noone bothers if there are decimal points to deal with or not, it's totally irrelevant! 2. Ideally values should be set in accordance with *tolerance* principles, i.e. is something to the mm precision/accuracy, state it, if not, forget about that extra decimal point! 3. If one is accustommed with metric he won't ever bother if there is a mixture of mm, cm, m, whatever therein! Therefore, I'm sorry, but no to the likes of 1234 mm over 1.234 m; or 134 cm over 1.34 m, unless computer applications drawings, etc would benefit from it. We should lose fear of using whatever prefix there is, or even of mixing units in drawings and all. It's really actually not paramount. True, standardization of a certain prefix all across the board would help, but my point is that what REALLY helps is people getting accustommed to *whatever* metric unit there is, developing the right mindset to deal with it. The rest is, oh, the rest... Marcus On Wed, 25 Dec 2002 14:16:24 Mike Joy wrote: >Pat wrote:- > >The Australian experience is that metric transition can be done in less >than >a year if you use millimetres - and in about fifty years - if you use >centimetres. > >***************** > >So true, Pat. I watched some builders build my extension 5 months ago, two >extra storeys on our house, and saw how easy it was for them to measure >lengths of wood, etc, and cut them accurately every time to the nearest mm. > >They were working from plans 1:100 and had no problem with that. No >mistakes at all. > >There's no question that it's easier to measure and cut a length of wood, >say, 1234 mm long as it's easier to remember than 'one two three POINT >four' cm long, and then try and work that out on your tape which is in mm >anyway. Bound to lead to errors and hence wastage. > >Another main reason mm is used is because it's easier to have two units to >work with than three, i.e.. mm and m, rather than mm, cm and m. > >Costings were accurate as calculations were done in mm and then rounded up >as necessary. > >Folk who insist on using centimeters and Centigrade are usually those who >live in the past and are not the practical type. > >Regards > >Mike >Perth, Australia > > ____________________________________________________________ Get 25MB of email storage with Lycos Mail Plus! Sign up today -- http://www.mail.lycos.com/brandPage.shtml?pageId=plus
