He's bettre off spelling it howevre he likes!
> From: <[email protected]> > Reply-To: <[email protected]> > Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2011 18:42:07 -0500 > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Subject: [USMA:50805] Re: ...Meters when Programming > > My fathre is of German-Swiss heritage. From him, a teacher of physics and > chemistry, I learned to pronounce *meter* phonetically, as in German. > My mothre is of English heritage. She taught English but also wrote meter. > My brothre taught mathematics at West Point (another USMA) also wrote meter. > > Does Pat prefer father, mother, and brother or fathre, mothre, and brothre? > > > ---- Original message ---- >> Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2011 14:57:36 -0700 (PDT) >> From: "John M. Steele" <[email protected]> >> Subject: [USMA:50802] Re: Metres Versus Meters when Programming >> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >> >> I think you have to judge those words in the >> environment of 1789. We were a dinky, weak country >> that had just won its independence from the British >> Empire after a long and costly war. It isn't a very >> becoming attitude for a superpower, but we weren't >> one then. >> >> Anyway, it is true that not every spelling reform >> was accepted. However, those that were are now >> deeply ingrained. There is not a snowball's chance >> in hell that we will change a lot of "er" endings >> back to "re", or z to s, or s to c, or any of the >> more common differences. I assume the UK won't >> change to our spelling either, so it is easier to >> just accept the differences. I would propose that >> we table the discussion, except the verb "to table" >> has diametrically opposite meanings in US and UK >> English. :) >> >> Speaking of "diameter," why isn't it "diametre" in >> the UK? >> >> ------------------------------------------------ >> >> From: Pat Naughtin >> <[email protected]> >> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> >> Cc: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> >> Sent: Fri, July 1, 2011 5:40:43 PM >> Subject: [USMA:50801] Re: Metres Versus Meters when >> Programming >> Dear Jim, >> You are quite right to point out that I was a bit >> rough on Noah Webster. >> But he did write the following in An Essay on the >> Necessity, Advantages, and Practicality of Reforming >> the Mode of Spelling (1789): >> But a capital advantage of this reform in these >> states would be, that it would make a difference >> between the English orthography and the American. >> This will startle those who have not attended to the >> subject; but I am confident that such an event is an >> object of vast political consequence. >> For, the alteration, however small, would encourage >> the publication of books in our own country. It >> would render it, in some measure, necessary that all >> books should be printed in America. The English >> would never copy our orthography for their own use; >> and consequently the same impressions of books would >> not answer for both countries. The inhabitants of >> the present generation would read the English >> impressions; but posterity, being taught a different >> spelling, would prefer the American orthography. >> Cheers, >> Pat Naughtin >> Geelong, Australia >> On 2011/07/01, at 08:59 , James Frysinger wrote: >> >> Dear Pat, >> >> I don't suppose you would describe your viewpoints >> here as being more ethnocentric than objective, >> would you? "Corrupt"? "Own commercial interests"? >> "Paranoia"? Grin. >> >> Jim >> >> -- >> James R. Frysinger >> 632 Stony Point Mountain Road >> Doyle, TN 38559-3030 >> >> (C) 931.212.0267 >> (H) 931.657.3107 >> (F) 931.657.3108 >> >> On 2011-06-30 16:55, Pat Naughtin wrote: >> >> Dear Martin, >> >> Other than the article you have already referred >> to at: >> >> http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/Spelling_metre_or_meter.pdf >> I >> >> don't think that I can help you. When Noah >> Webster decided to corrupt >> >> the spelling of metre in the 1700s and early >> 1800s, he did so for his >> >> own commercial reasons as well as to meet the >> paranoia of the USA at >> >> that time. >> >> Webster's success with his deception is now so >> widespread that it has >> >> become part of the culture of the USA and, for >> over 200 years, it >> >> restricted the population of the USA from >> accessing many valuable >> >> references from all other English speaking >> nations ‹ no matter how >> >> superior these "/foreign/" books might be. It >> was only a little lie at >> >> the time but it has grown mightily. >> >> I hope you don't mind but I have copied your >> email on to the USMA >> >> maillist for their comments ‹ their thoughts >> are always valuable. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Pat Naughtin >> >> Geelong, Australia >> >> On 2011/07/01, at 04:02 , Martin Bromley wrote: >> >> Hello Pat, >> >> My company runs a site at >> http://www.degreedays.net/ that generates a >> >> specialist type of temperature data called >> degree days. We're in the >> >> process of building an API (Application >> Programming Interface), which >> >> will give other programmers a way to get data >> out of our system >> >> without doing it manually through the website >> interface. >> >> In our API we need to give programmers access >> to several measurements >> >> of distance, like the elevation of a weather >> station above sea level. >> >> I had decided that we should use the metres >> unit for these >> >> measurements. That was an easy decision. >> >> What was not such an easy decision was >> deciding whether to spell it >> >> "metres" or "meters"... >> >> I'm guessing you're not a programmer so I >> shall give you just a little >> >> background. If we use "metres" in our API, >> we're forcing all >> >> programmers that use our API to type "metres" >> in various places >> >> throughout their code. And the thing with >> programming is that US >> >> spellings are the norm. Programmers around the >> world are used to >> >> typing color instead of colour and center >> instead of centre. It's like >> >> a standard of sorts. >> >> A couple of links that discuss this, for if >> you're interested: >> >> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/157807/gb-english-or-us-english >> >> http://drabasablog.net/archives/post-133.html >> >> So the en_US convention for programming would >> encourage us to use >> >> "meters" in our API (which is essentially a >> domain-specific language >> >> for programmers). And that is tempting. >> >> But we are providing a scientific kind of >> data, so it seems to me that >> >> it's important to be scientific in our >> measurements. And "meters" just >> >> doesn't feel scientific. >> >> I came across your excellent PDF on the >> metres/meters debate and I >> >> found it very useful. It helped give me the >> confidence to make the >> >> decision to settle on "metres", shunning the >> en_US convention for >> >> software programs. >> >> Many thanks for putting that information >> together and writing it in >> >> such a compelling way. >> >> Fingers crossed we don't change our mind >> tomorrow or get shouted at by >> >> angry Americans after we launch this API and >> they're wondering why on >> >> earth we spelt meters "wrong". >> >> Please don't feel the need to reply to this... >> Through running our >> >> Degree Days.net site I know what it's like >> when random strangers email >> >> one long tales out of the blue, when one >> doesn't really have time to >> >> respond. I just wanted to say thanks. >> >> Best regards, >> >> Martin Bromley >> >> http://www.degreedays.net/ >> >> 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. >> >> 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. > >
