Welcome to our circle, Mike! :-) Oh, boy... Am I glad to hear your opinion, pal! This is precisely what I have been trying to convey to some of our supporters here and you summarized it all with one sentence, 'I feel that the use of mm or cm is purely a preference issue, unless of course we are dealing with precise measurements' (i.e. if the job required it). I couldn't have said better myself!! Excellent, Mike.
You also brought to light and demonstrated the other aspect of the story, that of user-friendliness. Indeed, the main objective is to make the subject of measurements as convenient and easy to the Joe-Six Pack as one possibly can. Your experience is extremely valuable to all of us and helps drive this point home very effectively. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. And, once again, welcome aboard! :-) Marcus On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 14:33:29 Mike Panfil wrote: >Greetings USMA, > >I have been a "List Lurker" for about the past 6 months. I signed up on >this list server to read up on the progress of metrication within the US and >the world. > >I am an average middle class American currently living the state of >Arkansas. I am not an engineer or a scientist, in fact I am not even >college educated. Part of my elementary education was during the period of >the late 1960's. We were gearing up for the Metric conversation that was to >take place between 1970 and 1980, and therefore the dominant system being >taught (at least in my mathematics class) was the Metric System. I detested >fractions so I decided that I would learn the "new" system in place of the >"old" as it was to be our future standard. Besides, it was a much easier >system to learn and use. > >So yes, I have lived through the roller coaster ride of past three decades >were it seemed like we were finally going to implement the proper changes >numerous times, then would back up again and again only to lose ground. >Very frustrating. > >Enough background data; I have always used the cm for taking measurements >around the home. I find that the mm is much too precise for everyday use >and like others have said...too many digits. I do not know if it is just >cultural preference as most people here in the US when making rough >estimates are only precise to the .5 inch at best. Or because of our >currency, as our sub-units have been cents for nearly the entire time we >have been an independent country. > >When I see mm I always mentally convert to cm without really thinking much >about it. Even within my circle of friends and contacts in this non-metric >(but slowing changing) culture, they have a better understanding of a meter >and cm than was true in recent years, but I usually have to define mm. >Thirty years ago if I mentioned the word meter, I was looked at as if I had >just gotten off a space ship; so we are making headway. > >With all this discussion of what is true SI what is not, the average person >really does not care. We will leave that for you the scientists and >engineers to debate. We just want things to be easy to understand and easy >to use, otherwise it will be difficult to promote change. Even with the >term "SI" I get the same blank stares as if I said ISO or NIST, but everyone >in my circles knows what I mean by the term Metric System. > >Okay, let me land this plane. I feel that the use of mm or cm is purely a >preference issue, unless of course we are dealing with precise measurements. > >Sincerely, >Mike Panfil (an average "Joe Blow") > > ____________________________________________________________ Get 25MB of email storage with Lycos Mail Plus! Sign up today -- http://www.mail.lycos.com/brandPage.shtml?pageId=plus
