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Petition to make USA Metric

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nehalem256 said:
year/month/day is the "correct" form. "Bigger" numbers go to the left. Years are the biggest. It also makes sorting easy for computers.

Or you can go month/day/year, which also matches how American people commonly say dates as in September 5th, 2005.
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Guess I should say "FTFY" (this terminology doesn't come naturally to me!)

Elsewhere its more common to say 5th of September, 2005.

Imperial vs metric is an entirely subjective thing and both systems have their merits, but the US method of writing (and saying) dates is a trifle illogical.
 
Red Squirrel said:
🙄 Get it in your thick skull that not every single person is good at doing math in their head.
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DERRRRRP.

Your earlier statement: "you're not in a position to start pulling out a calculator and figure out if 43/24" is bigger or smaller than 3/5" etc."

If you don't know if 43/24 is bigger or smaller than 3/5 I can't help you. Further, if you don't know why this should be one of the easiest comparisons relating to division then perhaps you need a refresher of numerators and denominators. Hint: The numerator of the first example is LARGER than the denominator.

How about that whole metric is more accurate bullshit? Care to explain how that is even possible or are we just going to sweep that under the rug?
 
Possessed Freak said:
How about that whole metric is more accurate bullshit? Care to explain how that is even possible or are we just going to sweep that under the rug?
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Retard units are a large reason architectural plans never work. With fractions you end up with bits and pieces left over, and stupid shit like 16' 7 11/32"+ Plus what you fuckin' asshole?! If your plans start off wrong, nothing will be right. Everybody inserts error into a process, but you need a solid baseline to keep track of, and mitigate error. Retard units add error for no good reason.
 
DrPizza said:
Gee, I'm sorry - I didn't think typing the answer in would matter, since then you'd just, "well, you probably googled it."
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Why would I do that? It would be silly of me to even ask if I didn't think anyone could do it.

I don't really have a side in the whole metric vs. standard debate. I really couldn't care less. Well, actually... I'm kinda lazy, so I don't really feel like having to force myself to use metric. 😛 Anyway, I was mostly just trying to show how most people probably don't know fairly standard/basic conversion factors of the standard system since easy conversion factors is probably the nicest part of the metric system. For example, how many people do you think know how many feet are in a mile?

DrPizza said:
Then again, with people purchasing all those margarines and spreads that come in those big bowl things - it's possible that some people don't see this frequently. And, they've missed out on the taste of real butter.
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You can buy nasty margarine in those sticks too. 😛
 
Just out of curiosity, how do you order lumber in metric countries.

If I go the the lumber yard looking to by some 8' 2x4s, and some 4'x8' plywood, what do I ask for?
 
lxskllr said:
Retard units are a large reason architectural plans never work. With fractions you end up with bits and pieces left over, and stupid shit like 16' 7 11/32"+ Plus what you fuckin' asshole?! If your plans start off wrong, nothing will be right. Everybody inserts error into a process, but you need a solid baseline to keep track of, and mitigate error. Retard units add error for no good reason.
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1/32in is more precision than a mm. Are you saying construction is done to more accuracy than a mm?
 
nehalem256 said:
1/32in is more precision than a mm. Are you saying construction is done to more accuracy than a mm?
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I expect mathematical perfection on plans. If you can't get that, nothing will be correct. Individual measurements don't matter as much as cumulative, and it takes thousands of parts to come together to make a whole.
 
OP,
Yes, it's been tried. Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act in 1975. It didn't work. It was amended in 1988, but conversion in the private sector, while encouraged, is voluntary. And that's the problem.
http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/metric/upload/1136a.pdf

The scientific and medical communities use the metric system almost exclusively.

In my chemical research lab we use the metric system, but when I scale products up for production I have to switch back to United States customary units, pounds, gallons, etc. All our production units use instruments and scales calibrated for pounds and gallons.

I have no problems switching back and forth since I use the metric system so much. It's like learning a second language. You think in both.

So to totally convert to the metric system we have to teach it in our schools and force students to use it and/or force the private sector to use it.

A gradual conversion has/is being tried and it's not working.
 
Train said:
The load of crap that construction needs to measure to less than mm accuracy.
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Ah, I see, it's reading comprehension that's at issue here. I never said it had to be measured to the mm. I said it had to be computed exactly, so you don't end up with a clusterfuck at the end. If you don't start off right, it won't be right, and errors are harder to track since you don't know what it was supposed to be in the first place.
 
lxskllr said:
Ah, I see, it's reading comprehension that's at issue here. I never said it had to be measured to the mm. I said it had to be computed exactly, so you don't end up with a clusterfuck at the end. If you don't start off right, it won't be right, and errors are harder to track since you don't know what it was supposed to be in the first place.
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Explain to me how an imperial system cannot be computed exactly. Both systems use the same mathematical system.

You are completey blowing shit out of your mouth.
 
Train said:
Explain to me how an imperial system cannot be computed exactly. Both systems use the same mathematical system.
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You tell me. I already gave an example of architects making up numbers because there isn't a fraction that works. Maybe you can also tell why there's never been a building drawn that closes on itself. It /can/ be done, somehow never is when fractions are involved. It's a complicated abstraction that lends itself to error.
 
lxskllr said:
You tell me. I already gave an example of architects making up numbers because there isn't a fraction that works. Maybe you can also tell why there's never been a building drawn that closes on itself. It /can/ be done, somehow never is when fractions are involved. It's a complicated abstraction that lends itself to error.
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There is no rule that says you have to use fractions. You seriously have no clue what you are talking about.
 
Drako said:
Just out of curiosity, how do you order lumber in metric countries.

If I go the the lumber yard looking to by some 8' 2x4s, and some 4'x8' plywood, what do I ask for?
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Since, i.e., a 2x4, is actually ~1 1/2" x 3 1/2" there's a problem with soft or hard conversion (see the article).
The article states that there is little incentive for the wood industry in the US to change to the metric system.

http://www.awc.org/helpoutreach/ecourses/MAT120/MAT120eCourseV08-2004.pdf

http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/444/what-are-framing-dimensions-like-in-the-metric-world
 
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Train said:
There is no rule that says you have to use fractions. You seriously have no clue what you are talking about.
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Yea dude, I'm the one without a clue. You go find some architectural prints, get someone to explain them to you, and then you might be able to come back and add something to the discussion. Until then, I suggest you just read and learn.
 
lxskllr said:
Yea dude, I'm the one without a clue. You go find some architectural prints, get someone to explain them to you, and then you might be able to come back and add something to the discussion. Until then, I suggest you just read and learn.
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Or... you could just answer the question.
 
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