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DOH! Is that inches or centimeters?
- Thread starter Riaan Jutte
- Start date
My job would be much HARDER than the people on the job site, but I still would go for it since it would be better in the long run. I deal with much, much more diffrent aspects of construction than a carpenter even dreams of. I would not expect for things to change overnight, but the industry would change over time. As explained elsewhere here, Canada and Australia have been doing it for 30 years, but they'll be seeing the benefits for centuries.
Alfred
Alfred
That's true! It's just a name for something at this point. a 2X4 is roughly 1.5"x3.5" (depending on the manufacturer and the dimensions appear to be getting smaller). Oddly enough a 2X12 is 1.5 X 11.25.
I'm just glad that my camera is metric! Otherwise a 2" lens could actually mean a 1.5" lens?
I'm just glad that my camera is metric! Otherwise a 2" lens could actually mean a 1.5" lens?
Incorrect. We use letter as well. In the US a D size is 24"X26" architectural or 22" X 36" engineer. An there is also A, B, C and E sizes, all of them different sizes depending on application. So even the standard sizes of paper mean different sizes. Didi I mention Tabloid, legal and letter?
DavidP #28649
Forum Pro
The metric system only "seems" easier if you're mathematically challenged.
The reason we have so many different units is that for some applications, those different units make more sense.
In real life, the next logical measuring size isn't always a factor of 10.
Also, one can't get around the non-metricness of time, anyway. At least not while having months coincide with the revolution of the moon, days coinciding with revolutions of the Earth, and years coinciding with revolutions around the sun.
One could, though, divide the day into ten equal hours (well, we'd have to call them deci-days), with 10 minutes (oops, centi-days) per hour, and 10 seconds (oops, milli-days) per minute.
Think how much easier life would be if we didn't have to remember 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour, and 24 hrs per day. How archaic and non-metric is THAT? Yet is anybody calling for changing to metric time? No. Why not?
And then there's this whole calorie thing. Why have a unit of calorie? Why not just stick with joules? Isn't that the point of the metric system? I guess not.
And why do people say that they weigh 5 kg's ? Why don't they convert to Newtons, which is the appropraite thing to do? Somehow I imagine they'd do that (and rave about how logical it is) if the gravitational constant were 10 m/s/s instead of 9.8
Sorry, the world just doesn't cooperate with the metric system. No matter how hard you try.
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
The reason we have so many different units is that for some applications, those different units make more sense.
In real life, the next logical measuring size isn't always a factor of 10.
Also, one can't get around the non-metricness of time, anyway. At least not while having months coincide with the revolution of the moon, days coinciding with revolutions of the Earth, and years coinciding with revolutions around the sun.
One could, though, divide the day into ten equal hours (well, we'd have to call them deci-days), with 10 minutes (oops, centi-days) per hour, and 10 seconds (oops, milli-days) per minute.
Think how much easier life would be if we didn't have to remember 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour, and 24 hrs per day. How archaic and non-metric is THAT? Yet is anybody calling for changing to metric time? No. Why not?
And then there's this whole calorie thing. Why have a unit of calorie? Why not just stick with joules? Isn't that the point of the metric system? I guess not.
And why do people say that they weigh 5 kg's ? Why don't they convert to Newtons, which is the appropraite thing to do? Somehow I imagine they'd do that (and rave about how logical it is) if the gravitational constant were 10 m/s/s instead of 9.8
Sorry, the world just doesn't cooperate with the metric system. No matter how hard you try.
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
inigo guionnet
Forum Enthusiast
For example: temperature in Farenheit grades?
What is this?
Celsius grades, evaporated and fusion of water, well.
British, british, british.
))PNick Lehmann
Forum Enthusiast
Nick Lehmann
Forum Enthusiast
1 or a million joules does not matter u would still warm it up
Sometimes Slicknick, sometimes not so Slicknick
http://www.pbase.com/slick11nick/
--More often, BTU's are used. Or, God forbid, "tons". Why? Those
units make more sense for those applications. Rarely do
conversions between these have to be done. When they are done
routinely, people KNOW the numbers. Kilowatt-hrs are also used,
when appropriate.
BTW, how many joules does it take to heat up one liter of water?
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Sometimes Slicknick, sometimes not so Slicknick
http://www.pbase.com/slick11nick/
Rune Moberg
Senior Member
I've heard of a proposed 10 month calendar that does make much more sense than the 12 month variety (my father mentioned reading about it a year ago, I haven't had the time to track down the source yet).
The current mess is obviously not a good solution where each month is 30, no 31, oops 28 (or was it 29?) days long.
If you perceive the calendar as a backing of your argument, then you have a weak case.
--
Rune, http://runesbike.com/
Hans Kilian
Leading Member
Hi David.
Man, you're really on fire about this, aren't you?
Calories are a thing of the past. It's only when you buy stuff from the US that the energy content is specified in calories. All food here in Denmark has the energy content specified in kilojoule per 100 grams.
And calories are not really calories, btw. It is 'understood' that it is really thousands of calories. At least on food labels.
As for specifing weight in Newton, that would be really stupid. Mass and force are two different things. When I say that I weigh around 90 kg I tell you something about my mass. If I specified my weight as the force (in Newton) that the earth exerts on me, I'd 'weigh' something else on the moon. By specifing my mass, I don't have to change it if I move to another planet. Very handy, I'm sure you'll agree...
Cheers,
Hans
Man, you're really on fire about this, aren't you?
Calories are a thing of the past. It's only when you buy stuff from the US that the energy content is specified in calories. All food here in Denmark has the energy content specified in kilojoule per 100 grams.
And calories are not really calories, btw. It is 'understood' that it is really thousands of calories. At least on food labels.
As for specifing weight in Newton, that would be really stupid. Mass and force are two different things. When I say that I weigh around 90 kg I tell you something about my mass. If I specified my weight as the force (in Newton) that the earth exerts on me, I'd 'weigh' something else on the moon. By specifing my mass, I don't have to change it if I move to another planet. Very handy, I'm sure you'll agree...
Cheers,
Hans
Hans Kilian
Leading Member
Sure. We're already bending over backwards by using your language, so why not go all the way.
Let's compromise: You start posting in Danish and I'll use the Imperial System for my measurements. Deal?
Cheers,
Hans
Let's compromise: You start posting in Danish and I'll use the Imperial System for my measurements. Deal?
Cheers,
Hans
Teppo Hytönen
Senior Member
What a fight 
Well. All I can say is that I really do think metric is better. I mean, jumping from 199cm to 200cm makes much more sense than jumping from 5'11" to 6' And adding up is indeed much more easier in the metric system.
And weight. A liter of water is a kilogram. A good system
Also Celcius makes more sense than Fahrenheit. Below zero you get snow and ice. Above you usually don't. Heh And at 100 water boils.
Everyone would be better off if everyone used metric. Trust me
BTW, why is CCD size given in inches, and lens in mm? Why not use metric for all the measures, duh Wait, I know! Let's just all start using inches for lenses? A 47,24" f5.6L sure would be nice...
--
Teppo @ Finland
Well. All I can say is that I really do think metric is better. I mean, jumping from 199cm to 200cm makes much more sense than jumping from 5'11" to 6'
And adding up is indeed much more easier in the metric system. And weight. A liter of water is a kilogram. A good system
Also Celcius makes more sense than Fahrenheit. Below zero you get snow and ice. Above you usually don't. Heh
And at 100 water boils. Everyone would be better off if everyone used metric. Trust me
BTW, why is CCD size given in inches, and lens in mm? Why not use metric for all the measures, duh
Wait, I know! Let's just all start using inches for lenses? A --
Teppo @ Finland
DavidP wrote:
...
The main problem is that some of us DON'T TELL which units they
are talking about.
Vesa
...
...
The main problem is that some of us DON'T TELL which units they
are talking about.
Vesa
amitis
Leading Member
It is. I am using both and I know how to use both. Metric is easier.
As for Americans - they just don't know that metric exists/ there are people who use it. But same goes for all ather world - how many Fins wold even ahe an Ida how log one foot is.
To attach units seems easy enough.
DavidP #28649
Forum Pro
I forget which state it was, but a state legislature actually did try to legislate a value of 3 for pi. ROFL. Not very metric, though.
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
DavidP #28649
Forum Pro
It won't make sense at all, really. Not if it tries to have anything at all to do with the moon.
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
DavidP #28649
Forum Pro
Aha! The "ugly truth" comes out. Even the metric Europeans still use inches when specifying print sizes.
Therefore, it is logical to conclude that any print size given in the forum is in inches, unless specified otherwise.
Besides, since the math is so simple for the metric folks, they can afford the time to attach "cm" to their specifications for print size if they aren't using inches.
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Therefore, it is logical to conclude that any print size given in the forum is in inches, unless specified otherwise.
Besides, since the math is so simple for the metric folks, they can afford the time to attach "cm" to their specifications for print size if they aren't using inches.
--6 inches by 4, 8 inches by 6 and so on, of course! Just because a
system is rubbish doesn't mean that it doesn't get used. Look at
the state of the PC operating system market...
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
DavidP #28649
Forum Pro
What's so logical about water freezing at 0 and boiling at 100 ?
Heck, why not 0 and 1000 ?
Temperature is the WORST example of why metric is "better". What conversions do you have to do? I suppose you could have a centi-degree, or a deca-degree, huh?
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Heck, why not 0 and 1000 ?
Temperature is the WORST example of why metric is "better". What conversions do you have to do? I suppose you could have a centi-degree, or a deca-degree, huh?
--For example: temperature in Farenheit grades?
What is this?
Celsius grades, evaporated and fusion of water, well.
British, british, british.
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Jason Hutchinson
Forum Pro
Because a bunch of rich guys that run MLB don't want to change the name of a national past time's premier event, that means that 290million people don't have a concept of our place in the world?
Why do we still call it "rolling up a window." Some things just stick for a while.
I don't think so. It's just some times you want to discuss more relavant stats. Neither is nearly as relavent to the conversation as the stat that 60% of dpreview sessions originate from the U.S. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to accomodate others' systems for sure. I for one will not complain if you write 1 thousand as 1.000.
On the side topic of population, the U.S. will certainly continue to loose population compared to the rest of the world. Traditional U.S. citizens as a group are actually going to be declining as soon as the
Jason
DavidP #28649
Forum Pro
Even more relevant is the fact (claimed by somebody else, not me) that even in Europe, they specify print sizes in inches, not in cm.
This being the case, it should be assumed that print sizes given are in iches, unless specified otherwise.
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
This being the case, it should be assumed that print sizes given are in iches, unless specified otherwise.
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
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