[USMA:25277] Re: posting on metricsucks

[kilopascal]

2003-03-23   I have had mix success posting.  I have also had mix success in accessing some other web sites.  It seems the network is log jammed due to all of those armchair generals running the war from the safety of their home computers.   I will say one thing about some of the people who post, whether it is to the metric sucks site, or to the various newspaper forums, that those who oppose SI and those that blindly support Bush have become very nasty and vulgar in their responses.  If they can't convince you of their beliefs with facts, they try to do it with insults and vulgarities.   And these are the people who are going to be won over to SI by seeing its logic and simplicity?  This war is really bringing out the true nature of the majority of the masses in this country, and it doesn't look favourable to the SI cause.   I tired to explain to "pintdrinker" who is responsible for that post that the nautical mile is by definition exactly 1852 m.  It makes no difference what it may have been at one time, but that is what it is today and will not change.  I've also mentioned that the controversy can easily be ended by making the nautical mile obsolete and just use the metre and its prefixes.  But, this guy can't get it through his head that all the instruments and charts use the 1852 m figure, so why fight it?    But, it is still good to see pro-SIers posting more than those who oppose.   More of us should post there.   John     ----- Original Message ----- From: Han Maenen To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Sunday, 2003-03-23 05:31 Subject: [USMA:25273] Re: posting on metricsucks I have tried to answer with this post, but the connection is horribly slooooooooooooooooooow at the moment. i will try again later:   The so-called 'metric establishmentarians' did not want any nautical mile in the first place. It only survives because  sailors are addicted to that unit and because it is pushed by Anglo-Saxon nations. The metirc side wants distances measured by the kilometer alone. The 1852 m nautical mile is just a compromise between the two sides. The GPS system makes the nautical mile redundant as it is metrc. Any data given on a GPS-device in medieval units is convertedby special software. It is time to do away with the nautical mile. And that ridiculous stuff about metric units expressed in numerous decimal places makes me sick. That is just disinformation and lies by the anti-metric camp, trying to make metric look stupid.     > In the interest of mathematical purity the > figure "1852 m" is a value that > has been trimmed by none other than the > metric establishmentarians themselves. Had > they been mathematical purists dedicated to > a metric based on (a) "exact > value" of the metre and (b) > mathematical purity, then "their" > nautical mile would actually be > "1.85185185... ad infinitum (nautical) > miles.   <snip> ----- Original Message ----- From: kilopascal To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Saturday, 2003-03-22 0:35 Subject: [USMA:25255] posting on metricsucks 2003-03-21   Went to metric sucks and posted a "pro-metric" comment and was surprised to see the number of positive responses.  Seems metric sucks is being invaded by pro-SIers.   Read here:     http://www.metricsucks.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/webbbs_config.pl?read=12122   John