Pat Naughtin wrote Don't let anyone try to contradict the facts of correct international metric usage by citing local references such as a dictionary (say the Oxford Dictionary in the UK or Websters in the USA). The Oxford Dictionary is not a prescriptive document, but rather reflects what IS common usage. They give a definition of the abbreviation kph because a number of UK newpapers used kph independently of each other to mean the same thing. The UKMA have been lobbying them to remove it from the list of abbreviations or at any rate to note that legal and official texts should use km/h to maintain consistency with international practice.
_____ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Pat Naughtin Sent: 12 July 2008 08:31 To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:41400] Re: fewer exceptions to style guidelines On 2008/07/12, at 4:58 AM, Patrick Moore wrote: Where does the "should" come from in the first place? The BIPM? The AP Style Guide? Chicago? Fowler? My high school typing instructor? Issues of usage, style, and typography are off-topic. That may be unintuitive for us because SI stimulates the same part of our brain as do rules of usage etc. - just a hunch. Dear Patrick and All, On whose authority do we make our decisions about style when using SI units? There are many reasons why dictionary entries or style book rules cannot take precedence over the International System of Units (SI) decisions, not least of which is that these rules are agreed by international treaty. The symbols and the rules for their use are those of the International System of Units (SI) that were developed and approved at the Bureau International de Poids et Mesures (BIPM) under the authority of the Conférence Générale de Poids et Mesures (CGPM). In turn, the CGPM operates under an international treaty called the 'Treaty of the metre' that has 51 full member and 27 associate member nations as its signatories (as at 2008-04-04). Specifically, in the USA the history goes like this: 1 In 1787, the Constitution of the USA gave Congress the authority to establish a system of weights and measures. 2 The USA became a signatory of the Treaty of the metre, which they signed in 1875. 3 The Treaty of the metre authorises the Conférence Générale de Poids et Mesures (CGPM) to decide the rules and conventions for the International System of Units (SI). 4 The authority of the CGPM is administered through the Bureau International de Poids et Mesures (BIPM) that has its offices on international territory at Le Sévres just outside Paris. 5 The Congress of the USA passed the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act in 1988. This Act designated "the metric system of measurement as the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce." This implies that the use of the SI rules and conventions are the appropriate choice. See A chronological history of the modern metric system at http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/MetricationTimeline.pdf Don't let anyone try to contradict the facts of correct international metric usage by citing local references such as a dictionary (say the Oxford Dictionary in the UK or Websters in the USA) or a Style Book (such as the Associated Press Style Book in the USA or the Australian Government Style Manual for authors, editors and printers). No one has the authority to decide or to make rules about the use of the International System of Units (SI) other than the Conférence Générale de Poids et Mesures (CGPM). 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/ for more metrication information, contact Pat at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter/ to subscribe.
