Thanks Pat!
Here's a bit more from an email with that reporter I mentioned earlier,
thought you might like to see her thoughts on the subject.
------------------
"The job of the media in general is to relay information in the quickest
and most efficient (read: comprehensible) way possible. Because the use
of the English system is almost ingrained in American society, that's
what we use - the most people understand it. Until schools start to
teach students to use metric in their daily lives and it becomes more
widespread, we're probably not going to use those units.
And the blame doesn't rest solely on the schools, just like it doesn't
rest solely on us media types. If this nations is to be fully converted
to the metric system, we must make a concerted effort (schools, media,
businesses, etc) to do so; if this effort isn't made all around, it
won't have an effect.
At the end of the day, the media will continue to transmit news in the
simplest terms possible, so that it will reach the greatest number of
people. I would imagine that as long as the English system remains the
dominant system of measurement for the common people of America, we will
continue to use it in our stories."
I think she's pretty on-the-money, very insightful.
Cheers,
Mike
Pat Naughtin wrote:
Dear Gene, Jim, and All,
If the USMA takes up Gene's suggestion:
More needed is a USMA goal to "correct" the AP Style Guide to prefer
SI in accord with Federal Public Law. I suggest that letters go to
board members of the AP with quotation of the Public Law of 1988
stating preference for SI.
Might I suggest that the people helping to update the AP Style Guide
(perhaps using the AIP Style Manual (1990) as a basis for this) might
also like to refer to:
Chapter 11 Numbers and measurement (pages 163 to 186)
Australian Government /*Style manual: for authors, editors and
printers*/ (2002)
ISBN: 0-7016-3648-3.
http://www.agimo.gov.au/information/publishing/style_manual
This is possibly the most recent Style manual that clearly recommends
and supports the use of The International System of Units (SI). At
present the Style manual: for authors, editors and printers is not
available as a pdf file.
I edited the Numbers and measurement chapter of this (6th) edition and
the previous (5th) edition was edited by Kevin Wilks, the author of
the report, 'Metrication in Australia'.
In the meantime you might find that my '/Checklist for editors/'
article might be useful as a substitute, and somewhat shorter,
metrication style manual. You will find this on
the http://www.metricationmatters.com/articles page or directly
at http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/ChecklistForEditors.pdf
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
PO Box 305 Belmont 3216,
Geelong, Australia
Phone: 61 3 5241 2008
Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has
helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the
modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they
now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for
their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many
different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial
and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA.
Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST,
and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA.
See http://www.metricationmatters.com/
<http://www.metricationmatters.com/>for more metrication information,
contact Pat at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or to get the free
'/Metrication matters/' newsletter go to:
http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter/ to subscribe.
On 2008/06/18, at 3:57 AM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote:
Jim,
I got my quotation from Page 16 of a download of the AIP Style Manual
(1990, latest, edition), done a few minutes ago.
You are correct, I should have stated that most AIP members are
American scientific societies dealing with physics.
More needed is a USMA goal to "correct" the AP Style Guide to prefer
SI in accord with Federal Public Law. I suggest that letters go to
board members of the AP with quotation of the Public Law of 1988
stating preference for SI.
Who are the members of the AP Board of Directors? Letters to them
might be more effective than to the AP in general.
Gene.
---- Original message ----
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:10:23 -0500
From: James Frysinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>
Subject: Re: [USMA:41152] RE: Associated Press Style Guide is
working against us.
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
AIP includes societies that deal in matters relating to physics. I
would
not claim that they include "most American scientific societies" as
members.
I am no longer a member of AIP (I had been, as a member of the American
Association of Physics Teachers until recently) so my credentials are
the same as those of any other person. You might go to www.aip.org
<http://www.aip.org> and
search for "authors guide". I believe it can be downloaded as a PDF
file.
My last copy was printed in the 90s, I think, and if I still have it it
is packed away somewhere.
Jim
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The American Institute of Physics (AIP) Style Manual virtually
*mandates* "metric" units, which can be interpreted to include cgs
units. The AIP consists of most American scientific societies as
members. My edition of the AIP manual is many years old. Later
editions may specify SI, I'm not sure. That's worth a Web search.
Bill, Bill, or Jim, do you know?
