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Put yourself in our shoes, try switching everything you do to pounds, feet, inches, etc. for a week and let us know how it goes. Now multiply that by 300 million.
Hmm.. Yeah you're right.. The other 5.7 billion should change instead... 
You guys keep insisting that our systems of measure are "non-trivial" to "figure out" and that's only because we're "Americans" and "used to it". Does the reverse not apply? Someone says to me "its 100 meters away", I have no idea how far that is. Put yourself in our shoes, try switching everything you do to pounds, feet, inches, etc. for a week and let us know how it goes. Now multiply that by 300 million. Then consider the cost and ask yourself why we haven't made the switch.
Very easy. Trust me! I moved from Europe to the States, I used to live there for 6 years (Fort Lauderdale and Chicago) and then I moved again to Canada. So I went from Metric System to Imperial System and back to Metric System with some mixture of Imperial System! (Canada measures in Kgs as well as Lbs, Oz, Pints etc.)
Why the question ? Simply use the PHP strftime() function, and let the administrator of a forum choose whatever format he want to use.
Or was it a general question, and not a PunBB one ? I'm confused :
we are not talking about getting us to how far a metre is (but its approx 1 yard so its not too hard) if we say how many centimetres in a metre you probably know, if you say how many yards in a mile i have no idea
You guys keep insisting that our systems of measure are "non-trivial" to "figure out" and that's only because we're "Americans" and "used to it". Does the reverse not apply?
Well, I don't say that anything is non-trivial or bad just because it's used by Americans. That would be slightly stupid.
However, when it comes to integration and world wide standards you always have two options: Either you leave it or one party has to adjust to the other.
If you go for the latter option then who should adjust? The ones with the easier system? (And please don't tell me that by logic and rational argumentation a decimal system is not easier to understand, use, compute...) Or the ones who want to keep their system because... well, because what? They are used to it? 
Even though they only make up for 5% of the world population?
Then consider the cost and ask yourself why we haven't made the switch.
OK, then go and consider the cost for the other 95% of this planet. How do you call that in football if somebody hits their own goal by accident?
But as I mentioned, I think exactly this kind of argumentation without real arguments lead to the world being a difficult place and things will just stay as they are...
You guys keep insisting that our systems of measure are "non-trivial" to "figure out" and that's only because we're "Americans" and "used to it". Does the reverse not apply? Someone says to me "its 100 meters away", I have no idea how far that is. Put yourself in our shoes, try switching everything you do to pounds, feet, inches, etc. for a week and let us know how it goes. Now multiply that by 300 million. Then consider the cost and ask yourself why we haven't made the switch.
You're right of course. It's not something you do in a short amount of time. The migration to a unified measurement system will take years and years. What "annoys" us is that there are so few of you and still, because the US has such an influence (both good and bad) on the rest of the world, we have to live with the problems associated with our conflicting measurement systems.
I think those of you who continue to say "yeah right, the other 95% of us should switch" are missing my point. I never said you should change to our system. I merely stated a fact: the overwhelming cost to change 300 million people over to the metric system would not be a trivial task and would cost billions.
Suck it up. It is what it is and likely won't change until China takes over the world.
I merely stated a fact: the overwhelming cost to change 300 million people over to the metric system would not be a trivial task and would cost billions.
And in the long run, seeing all this globalization thingy going on, it would save billions....
Suck it up. It is what it is and likely won't change until China takes over the world.
Well then - I'll lean back and wait. Can't be too long.
And you know why? Because they are so bloody flexible
I think I'm done here because you're obviously missing my point. Keep in mind, I've never once said converting to metric would be a bad idea. I'm only saying that the up-front cost to do so at present is considerable, and is probably the biggest reason why we haven't done so already. Its a gradual process and we'll eventually get there (Coke, Pepsi, etc. come in 1 and 2 liter bottles, for instance), but expecting us to switch over night is insanity.
Incase you didn't notice, everyone else did it, we all used to be imperial but we changed, so you can't really tell us its impossible
you can't really tell us its impossible
Please indicate where/when I said that it was. Has the UK completely switched over?
http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/ … metric.02/
Your point obviously being that humans make mistakes?
Connorhd wrote:you can't really tell us its impossible
Please indicate where/when I said that it was. Has the UK completely switched over?
Yes we have theoretically apart from still using miles though most of us still think in imperial (thats real imperial weights and measures not the peculiar mish mash used in the US)
lol, Canadians are already ahead in the game! with 18 years of metric, impreal generation in Canada will be gone in 2061 ish, if you use average life span
I never said the UK was perfect (imo we should be completely metric but no one listens to me)
well some how clocks still run on imperal time. i wonder why?
Your point obviously being that humans make mistakes?
Actually, my point was that this is not just an annoyance. It actually results in real problems that cost not only lots and lots of money but lives as well. It's not something you can procrastinate forever. It has to happen sooner or later.
You're 100% correct, although its still going to cost us billions if not trillions up-front to correct, and for that reason I don't see it happening any time soon. So we've come full circle in this debate.
dmz wrote:I merely stated a fact: the overwhelming cost to change 300 million people over to the metric system would not be a trivial task and would cost billions.
And in the long run, seeing all this globalization thingy going on, it would save billions....
dmz wrote:Suck it up. It is what it is and likely won't change until China takes over the world.
Well then - I'll lean back and wait. Can't be too long.
And you know why? Because they are so bloody flexible
China uses the metric system, but i don't think that china can take over the world. They will have to stop india in 5 year once they are superpower, and pakistan in 16 years, and russia (if they can get it right) 25 years.
You're 100% correct, although its still going to cost us billions if not trillions up-front to correct, and for that reason I don't see it happening any time soon. So we've come full circle in this debate.
the one thing your missing is your going to have to go metric some time, and the longer you wait the more it costs (its like the ultimate debt with the ultimate interest rate to go with it)
the one thing your missing is your going to have to go metric some time, and the longer you wait the more it costs (its like the ultimate debt tongue with the ultimate interest rate to go with it)
And what you appear to be missing:
You have a car. Its not the best, but it works. The government says if you spend $1,000,000 for a hydrogen-powered car you'll pay less for fuel in the long run. Are you going to drive your current (paid-for) gas guzzler and milk it as long as you can, or go into debt up to your eyeballs and make the upgrade because its the right thing to do?
Again... I still haven't said it would be a bad thing for USA to go metric. I'm on your side so you guys are preaching to the choir.
i wish i had a car...
anyway $1,000,000 to me is more than $1,000,000,000,000 to a goverment, problem is they should have gone metric ages ago, its like the ignore it and it will hopefully go away solution lol
what can we say, metric is so much easier, but then imperial was invented first. So i guess metric will win in like 50 years....
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