[USMA:34540] Upgrade to metric

[Scott Hudnall]

Title: Upgrade to metric

I think Americans are comfortable with what we call “updates”, “upgrades” and “migrations” in the software industry. When new software releases come out, there is a push to migrate existing and legacy systems to newer systems. These terms are currently very much in use in in American businesses and don’t seem to have the negative connotations that the words “convert” or “conversion” seem to have. “Migration” tends to imply moving on to an upgraded system at the end of a useful life-cycle, whereas “conversion” seem to imply throwing away equipment in the middle of its lifecycle. Perhaps if we frame the metrication debate in terms of “updates”, “upgrades” and “migrations”, we can make greater strides in getting this country upgraded to the metric system.

Here was an article I found interesting.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/17/HOGOSENH5L1.DTL

The article uses both metric and imperial units, but does not use dual-units. At one point it defines the BTU in terms of customary units. The air-quality standards listed in the article are listed in metric only...because the environmental industry upgraded to metric standards years ago.


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Scott Hudnall