On 2010/12/12, at 12:20 , [email protected] wrote: > The tape measure I have numbers every centimeter, but has little marking > lines for each millimeter. (There isn't ROOM to number every millimeter, > but, I agree, if the first centimeter was "10" and not "1" that would be > better.) For those of us who know metric, converting cm to mm in our heads > is trivial. For those thinking of cm as the "metric inch" it would be a real > difficulty. > > Carleton
Dear Carleton, One of the other issues with centimetres is that they are eminently dividable in halves, quarters, etc. thus removing from these metric system units any of the benefits of decimals. For example, this is the apparent policy of the Apple Computer Company as shown with their word processing program called "Pages" where centimetres are divided into halves and quarters. I imagine that millions of children in schools all over the USA are happily dividing centimetres by halves and quarters as they learn how to complete assignments using Apple's "Pages" word processing program. Thomas Jefferson must roll over in his grave every time a student begins a written assignment using Apple's "Pages". See http://metricationmatters.com/docs/USAMetricSystemHistory.pdf The Apple "Pages" program does not allow millimetres as an option for page layout even though in many publishing houses and advertising agencies, millimetres are regarded as an industry standard because, as we know, millimetres means no fractions. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, see http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY 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.
