In scientific and technical disciplines consistency of terminology helps enormously. After many years of doing technical writing I am convinced of this more than ever.
It is therefore not pedantism or picayunism to decry the use of angstrom, micron, etc. Consistent use of units in all their aspects is definitely a plus. In informal conversation one can and should do as one likes; in all other cases careful consistency definitely pays off. :-) -- Ezra ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Vlietstra" <[email protected]> To: "USMA" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 14, 2014 11:10:09 PM Subject: [USMA:54151] RE: Teaching Metric Units of Measurement Eugene is quite right, a person should be consistent in how they write and pronounce words, but that does not mean that there is only one "right" way to do things. For example, even though this is a US site, I consistently write in British English. I know that there are a few differences, but I do not believe that this in any way detracts from or enhances what I write. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of mechtly, eugene a Sent: 15 July 2014 03:53 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:54150] Teaching Metric Units of Measurement Although some readers in this forum are indifferent to standards for spelling and sounding the words associated with metric units of measurement, the persons who actually teach metric units in schools or in private settings, can not be ambivalent in their choices of how to write and speak metric words. They would be perceived as silly if they alternated from one spelling to the other, and from one sounding to the other in trying to be impartial. What standards, if any, should they follow? Their own personal preferences, standards recommended in NIST documents, examples in the Oxford English Dictionary, practices exampled in the BIPM Brochure on SI, recommendations in the IEEE-ASTM SI 10, or what? Whatever their choices, they impart their choices to their "students" by example, whether "good" or "bad" in our respective minds. Eugene Mechtly
