Well said Bill, You put it better than any of my lame attempts previously.
I particularly agree with these thoughts: > However, any reference to "changing SI" or "changing metric" will be viewed > by the general public as meaning that things like the metre and the kilogram > are being changed (in size), which the general public will believe means that > SI and metric units weren't good enough to start with, so they were probably > all wrong in the first place, and therefore the metric system is inaccurate, > stupid, bad, a plot by (take your pick) the communists, the French, or > al–Qaida, too uncertain to be a useful measurement system, etc., etc., etc. > and more etc. > > It is the perception of the general public that I am concerned about when we > start talking about "New SI", etc. I'm hoping we insist upon a way of > describing what is being done that does NOT indicate that "the metric system" > is being changed. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Geelong, Australia On 2011/02/27, at 14:59 , Bill Hooper wrote: > > On Feb 24 , at 12:46 PM, <[email protected]> <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Bill, Which of these variations, apart from their lengths, do you like? >> Parts in (...) optional: >> >> "Base Units of SI (to be) More Precisely Defined" >> >> "Base Units (of SI) Defined More Precisely" >> >> "Units of SI (to be) Defined Independent of Artifacts" >> >> "Metric Units (to be) Defined Numerically (independent of Artifacts)" >> >> Gene. > > > None of the above, because: > > a. "Base Units of SI (to be) More Precisely Defined" > But ALL units, not just SI will be more precisely defined by the new > definitions. Don't "blame it" on SI. > > b. "Base Units (of SI) Defined More Precisely" > It is NOT just about SI; thus this one might be OK if the parenthetical > reference to SI is omitted. > > c. "Units of SI (to be) Defined Independent of Artifacts" > But it is NOT just SI units that will independent of artifacts; Ye Olde > English units will be also. > > d. "Metric Units (to be) Defined Numerically (independent of Artifacts)" > It is NOT just metric units that will be defined differently. It is ALL units > of ALL systems. > > > Most of the other ways that people have tried to find would be just fine IF > these phrases would be used only by those who are well aware of the > technicalities involved. Those people ("we" included, if I may be so bold) > understand what is being changed (and what is not). > > However, any reference to "changing SI" or "changing metric" will be viewed > by the general public as meaning that things like the metre and the kilogram > are being changed (in size), which the general public will believe means that > SI and metric units weren't good enough to start with, so they were probably > all wrong in the first place, and therefore the metric system is inaccurate, > stupid, bad, a plot by (take your pick) the communists, the French, or > al–Qaida, too uncertain to be a useful measurement system, etc., etc., etc. > and more etc. > > It is the perception of the general public that I am concerned about when we > start talking about "New SI", etc. I'm hoping we insist upon a way of > describing what is being done that does NOT indicate that "the metric system" > is being changed. I think (b.) above, without the reference to SI, would be > one acceptable solution, but it is not the only solution and maybe not even > the best solution. > > > Bill Hooper > 1800 mm tall* > Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA > > *same size millimetres before and after new definitions are adopted. > ========================== > SImplification Begins With SI. > ========================== > 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.
