You're right of course. For measurements, I use symbols exclusively. My comment was for sentences in communications such as a letter to a magazine - any place a solitary "m" would not be enough,
> From: Stan Jakuba <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 21:44:25 -0400 > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: SCC14 IEEE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [USMA:40864] meter > > Patrick: > Years ago you and I worked on this issue and decided (or you decided) to use > symbols. That is the easiest way to avoid the spelling controversy while > also saving time, paper and ink in the process. > > I know that you use symbols in ASNT technical writing, but there is no > reason not to use them everywhere. I have not seen many popular and daily > press spelling "British thermal units" - Btu is common. Or "pounds per > square inch" - psi is common. > > I am an optimist: The American people can learn to recognize metric symbols > despite the NIH attitude. Editors should help that learning process by > resorting to them. And also to apply the rules of SI that your handbooks > follow so religiously. Congratulation. > Stan > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Patrick Moore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Sent: 08 May 08, Thursday 09:18 > Subject: [USMA:40864] meter > > >> When we members of the USMA address e-mails and letters to US publications >> (periodicals, web sites, and newscasts), it would be rhetorically smart to >> use the spelling "meter" rather than "metre." "Metre" looks foreign and >> multiplies the likelihood that our opinion will be dismissed as alien. >> >> I realize that many of us are obsessive-compulsive and are averse to the >> US >> spelling. Nevertheless, my perspective as an editor in the USA is that the >> Franco-British spelling hurts our cause. >> >> > >
