Dear All,
The bad folk who use downsizing to cheat their customers often have a
delightful time as they point out that the process of upgrading to the
metric system is an opportunity for such cheats.
The truth is, however, that these cheats (and their anti-honesty
supporters) don't really mind about honest measuring methods. They
will cheat at a time of measurement stability using such things as
pints, pounds, inches, and ounces; they will cheat at a time of
transition from old pre-metric measures to metric units; and they will
continue to cheat once as the upgrade to the metric system nears
completion.
The purpose of this email is to give you an example of the third of
these. It is from the Melbourne newspaper, The Age, from about a week
ago (2009-04-15). Here is the reference: http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/business/money/planning/that-shrinking-feeling/2009/04/13/1239474815481.html
One of the examples given here is:
Two months ago, brewery firm Foster's backtracked after attempting to
charge the same price for less beer in a new, specially shaped bottle.
Sales of the lager, Cascade, dropped by 33 per cent after a backlash
from customers and online campaigns on social networking sites such as
Facebook.
But this article does not refer to the fact that brewers have been
routinely using false measurements to cheat customers for hundreds,
and perhaps thousands, of years. However, in the old pre-metric days
cheating was less transparent. It is easy to see that 333 mL of beer
is less than 375 mL of the same beer — and by how much — hence the
backlash reported above. (It is not so easy to see the amount that the
beer has been downsized when it goes from 13 3/16 Fl. Oz. to 11 5/8
Fl. Oz. in the UK or from 12 11/16 Fl. Oz. to 11 1/4 Fl. Oz. in the
USA).
One of the reasons that Bishop John Wilkins invented the universal
measure that became the metric system was to provide honest measures
for all people and to thwart the ever present cheats. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/CommentaryOnWilkinsOfMeasure.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
for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected]
or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter
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