** Caution: EXTERNAL Sender ** I was thinking today listening to NPR about companies closing because they are not making enough money, it might be a good time to write to a few newspaper editorial boards recommending they change their editorial policy to that of the Associated Press who include metric in most ( about 90%) of their articles, even when they approximate the mile value like the distance to the Webb telescope. If Americans understood, that to sell US made stuff outside the US, you need to talk the measurement language of the buyer. Far too many make assumptions and probably lose the business.
I've realized talking to Brits in France that they talk a different measurement language to me because most british publications (newspapers and the BBC and independent TV) still seem to use imperial, be it miles per gallon, stones for weight, size of fields, etc. I personally have used L/100km since about 1975, now I use kW/100km, the Brits use miles per gallon (despite fuel being sold in litres since about 1970) and miles per kW. All being incomprehensible to me or anyone else on the planet except Americans who think they have really efficient cars because most do no know the UK Gallon was larger than the US one, they no longer use Gallons to actually measure anything it appears. They tell me this stuff and I say, sorry I have no comprehension of that unit, do you have it in L/100km or kilograms or hectares, etc. Most British are amazed I do not know how heavy a stone is, not that I care. We had some Brits, Australians and me around a coffee table one day and the Australians did not know either. The Brits were amazed !! This also happens with people in the US trying to sell stuff outside the USA, I recently came across an advertisement in France for a new John Deere electric ride on mower, which will do an acre on one charge. Hmmm, wonder how many square metres that is without getting out my calculator? (I wrote to John Deere) The French use Hectare and Are for land. An Are if your not familiar is one tenth of a hectare or 10 x10 m. Mike Payne _______________________________________________ USMA mailing list USMA@lists.colostate.edu https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma
