Excellent point, Howard. This illustrates a big problem (and one of my pet peeves) with metric supporters, or for that matter supporters of almost every other issue. Once a supporter of ANY issue starts getting extreme, even slightly, or starts exaggerating, they lose any hope of convincing whoever they are talking to. Use of the words fake news or censorship will immediately alienate anyone working for a newspaper. Trying to promote use of SI by the use of obscure Welsh units will immediately turn off anyone not already in total agreement, even when done tongue in cheek. This is a universal truth. Trumpers and anti-Trumpers will never agree or talk civilly because each side quickly resorts to exaggeration and rhetoric, immediately ending any hope of any useful conversation. Many metric proponents are frequently guilty of this, most of us do it occasionally, and it is always counterproductive.
The original letter was well-written and made some very excellent points, but words like censorship and fake new would have immediately turned any person at the Washington Post off and they probably never even finished that letter, not reading the last paragraph where the most important points are made. With a few minor changes, it is possible the letter would have been read and considered. I wrote to the Washington Post around the 7th April 2020 regarding your changing the social distancing from 2 metres to 6 feet in an article on New Zealand. Now I see you've changed the article Over 1,000 queue for food in Geneva by changing 1 kilometer to more than half a mile in the original Reuters article. https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnation%2F2020%2F05%2F09%2Fcoronavirus-update-us%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cusma%40lists.colostate.edu%7Cc02b5f65a5e64d37f35508d7f5b7d609%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637248042233605198&sdata=JANDAeiIsiNJzTrGMXRlyOf%2FQ42njBp16%2FAqDcO278c%3D&reserved=0<https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect2.fireeye.com%2Fv1%2Furl%3Fk%3D48fa3547-14dc011c-48f8cc72-000babd905ee-25d3c10eb139bc00%26q%3D1%26e%3D291a08ac-b3e2-4eae-b277-1eee03b28662%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fnam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%252F%253Furl%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.washingtonpost.com%25252Fnation%25252F2020%25252F05%25252F09%25252Fcoronavirus-update-us%25252F%2526data%253D02%25257C01%25257Cusma%252540lists.colostate.edu%25257C6995fe9120004c5d5e1908d7f4a9ee88%25257Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%25257C0%25257C0%25257C637246882999186399%2526sdata%253DzfCLqUG7zo8fgQrNcErRR38U1hyTAKLF5El231sYWNQ%25253D%2526reserved%253D0&data=02%7C01%7Cusma%40lists.colostate.edu%7Cc02b5f65a5e64d37f35508d7f5b7d609%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637248042233605198&sdata=E%2FN7Nffldlj8EwM4SfMD%2B6A8ozBIfIlMLsX03SOPkvM%3D&reserved=0> I subscribe to the Washington Post, I understand the United States does not use metric units in everyday life, but I am disappointed with your changing stories from elsewhere to match your Style Guide, which may not accurately reflect today's society. I know Hospitals in the United States use kilograms and Celsius for all patients. All Pilots and Air Traffic controllers in the United States use Celsius only for temperature at every airport in the United States. Every mechanic who works on a car or airplane uses millimeters because that's what size all the bolts and clearances are. I could go on, many many people in the United States understand and use the metric system every day, except the Washington Post ! I believe in supporting good journalism, but I'm disappointed that you continue to "dumb down" your stories to American readers. I've cancelling my subscription which renews the 25 May. Al Lawrence ________________________________ From: USMA <[email protected]> on behalf of Ressel, Howard R (DOT) <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2020 6:15 AM To: Michael Payne <[email protected]>; USMA List Server <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA 1376] Re: Sent this morning to the Washington Post While I respect your concerns and your decision to end your subscription, I feel you were a bit harsh calling this censorship and fake news. You might not agree wit their policy to convert SI (metric) dimensions in non-us written articles to US customary units but their editors, however miss guided, must feel that the American public will not tolerate or understand articles that include metric units. Fortunately there are many news outlets who do. The joke is on them as they lost you as a reader as opposed to losing a reader because the used meters instead of feet. However they did not censor anything, the information is there and it is the same no matter what units it was provided in. By calling this censorship and fake news I believe the readers of your letter will not take you seriously. A well written letter explain how keeping the original units included by the author will not hurt their readership nor cause subscribers to unsubscribe and how perhaps it would benefit their readers would have been more successful in getting your point across. Howard From: USMA <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Michael Payne Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2020 2:18 AM To: USMA List Server <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA 1361] Sent this morning to the Washington Post ATTENTION: This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails. Hello, I wrote to the Washington Post around the 7th April 2020 regarding your changing the social distancing from 2 metres to 6 feet in an article on New Zealand (This now becomes Fake News). Now I see you've censored the article Over 1,000 queue for food in Geneva by changing 1 kilometer to more than half a mile in the original Reuters article. https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnation%2F2020%2F05%2F09%2Fcoronavirus-update-us%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cusma%40lists.colostate.edu%7Cc02b5f65a5e64d37f35508d7f5b7d609%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637248042233605198&sdata=JANDAeiIsiNJzTrGMXRlyOf%2FQ42njBp16%2FAqDcO278c%3D&reserved=0<https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect2.fireeye.com%2Fv1%2Furl%3Fk%3D48fa3547-14dc011c-48f8cc72-000babd905ee-25d3c10eb139bc00%26q%3D1%26e%3D291a08ac-b3e2-4eae-b277-1eee03b28662%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fnam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%252F%253Furl%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.washingtonpost.com%25252Fnation%25252F2020%25252F05%25252F09%25252Fcoronavirus-update-us%25252F%2526data%253D02%25257C01%25257Cusma%252540lists.colostate.edu%25257C6995fe9120004c5d5e1908d7f4a9ee88%25257Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%25257C0%25257C0%25257C637246882999186399%2526sdata%253DzfCLqUG7zo8fgQrNcErRR38U1hyTAKLF5El231sYWNQ%25253D%2526reserved%253D0&data=02%7C01%7Cusma%40lists.colostate.edu%7Cc02b5f65a5e64d37f35508d7f5b7d609%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637248042233615193&sdata=j5F8niUQCz45FYXoCWOi0zIxeqh3RXh3qf4LbjCQ2tI%3D&reserved=0> I subscribe to the Washington Post, I understand the United States does not use metric units in everyday life, but I refuse to condone your censoring stories from elsewhere to match your Style Guide, which is obviously out of date. I know Hospitals in the United States use kilograms and Celsius for all patients. All Pilots and Air Traffic controllers in the United States use Celsius only for temperature at every airport in the United States. Every mechanic who works on a car or airplane uses millimeters because that's what size all the bolts and clearances are. I could go on, many many people in the United States understand and use the metric system every day, except the Washington Post ! I believe in supporting good journalism, but I'm not going to put up with your censoring articles to omit the units I prefer. I've cancelling my subscription which renews the 25 May.
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