The use of “2 x 4” to describe timer that is 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" is a bad habit that either the UK learned from the US (or vice versa – I am not too sure which), but shortly after the UK joined the EU (or the EEC as it was), 2 x 4 timber was marketed as “95 x 47” which is what you got.
From: USMA [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Al Lawrence Sent: 11 May 2020 18:33 To: Ressel, Howard R (DOT); Michael Payne; USMA List Server Subject: [USMA 1382] Re: Sent this morning to the Washington Post Substitution is a great way to go. Comparing two meters to six feet is fine. Visually no one can tell the difference. After all, a wood 2 x 4 is not really 2" x 4", it is 1 1/2" x 3 1/2", a significant difference, but nobody cares. Al Lawrence _____ From: USMA <[email protected]> on behalf of Ressel, Howard R (DOT) <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 11, 2020 10:22 AM To: Michael Payne <[email protected]>; USMA List Server <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA 1381] Re: Sent this morning to the Washington Post It is really an issue of Conversion or Substitution as defined in SI 10. Direct conversion, using the factors and rules of SI 10 and other sources to determine an appropriate equivalent value with an SI unit. However substitution a suggest a new rational metric size used for the value of the measurement for the item being converted. While conversion maintains the original standard value (rounded appropriately for accuracy and precision substitution defines a new standard value for the measurement. Substitution should not be confused with rounding. Some examples are: Item Old value Conversion Substitution Road Lane Width 12 ft 3.66 m 3.6 m Pipe 12 in 305 mm 300 mm Baking Temperature 450 °F 232.2 °C 230 °C Social Distancing 6’ 1.83 m 2 m Whereas conversion will generally accommodate full compatibility between existing and new items, substitution may require modification or transitions for compatibility to occur. In the case of social distancing recommendations, international guidelines have used 2 m (I hear some countries are using 1.5 m) but CDC in the US has quoted 6’ as being an equivalent safe distance. They did not sensor anything they merely substituted a rational US customary value. Howard From: USMA <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Michael Payne Sent: Monday, May 11, 2020 1:01 PM To: USMA List Server <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA 1379] Re: 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. I have to disagree Mark. When they change 2 meter social distancing to 6 ft it is censoring, they changed it to what they think it should be, otherwise if it were a conversion it would be 6 ft 6 inches. I wrote to the journalist to ask why it was 6 ft when she’s reporting from New Zealand, she wrote back and said that 2 metres was what was in her submission, someone in Washington changed it. Mike Payne On 11 May 2020, at 14:28, Mark Henschel <[email protected]> wrote: I think you should keep your subscription and continue to pepper them with letters, emails, tweets and texts when they do nonsense like this. I see this is quite common because journalists are convinced the reading public is too stupid to understand an article that contains metric units only. Some publications are changing, but if more people such as yourself let them know you WANT to see metric units, it might have an effect. Better than having no voice at all. MArk Henschel Virus-free. https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.avg.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cusma%40lists.colostate.edu%7C5ec1c5f06458406b0c5b08d7f5ec66d6%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637248268004996375&sdata=R1D8elXdMF%2B%2BFw2H4nSsHlsUFxU1NPMjPYM4tMy5Q1U%3D&reserved=0 On Sun, May 10, 2020 at 1:18 AM Michael Payne <[email protected]> wrote: 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%7C5ec1c5f06458406b0c5b08d7f5ec66d6%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637248268004996375&sdata=YLYXi%2BG8o%2Be7ksVKnjFsVknusi7sBMYVuePFLnBTGMQ%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. _______________________________________________ USMA mailing list [email protected] https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma
_______________________________________________ USMA mailing list [email protected] https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma
