Should America go metric?

[Polarthief]

I don't care who proposes making English the official language. My point was that some people want government to force switching to the metric, while deploring the idea of establishing an official language. Yes, it's not the same thing (language and a number system) but the mandatory switching is the same idea.

TBH, I'd actually be for having English be the official language (because technically, it already is, despite a lot of immigrants speaking other languages), except with that, you're not forced to use it. That's like saying you're FORCED to use French when you visit France or Italian when you visit Italy, when you're not, but you may have a hard time.

You're more than welcome to use imperial units should we switch to Metric, you just might be called silly for using a system that essentially a child would use.

Also, I was just quoting you because I was laughing with you. The guy's a dumbass.

---------- Post added 2012-12-13 at 12:42 AM ----------

I don't use english in daily life, but i do use when i am in an international ambient. Its the same thing.
But i have to say is nice to know americans are taught about this system, but americans should do an effort to use it when talking to someone from another country, since this person did the effort to learn another language to talk to you.

*Coughs* Um, no, people from another country typically DON'T learn our language...

[Collegeguy]

I would love to go metric. I hate it the most in distance. However, you can keep your worthless celsius.

Celsius can go die in a fire. It's not accurate, and not even remotely relative to human perception. Basing a temperature system off of when water freezes and boils puts it at a disadvantage for human sensitivity.

[obdigore]

I don't use english in daily life, but i do use when i am in an international ambient. Its the same thing.
But i have to say is nice to know americans are taught about this system, but americans should do an effort to use it when talking to someone from another country, since this person did the effort to learn another language to talk to you.

Oh please. I'll use Imperial and if you say you don't have the time to convert it I'll convert it. For personal conversations, I mean. For business conversations I will give measurements in both imperial and metric. Problem fucking solved. You were complaining about someone telling you they got about 3 inches of snow, iirc? That is 7.62 CM's, as 1 inch = 2.54 cm.

[Dragoncurry]

Lol i never fucking understood the Farenheight system other than I like it around 72. Completely retarded!

[vastx]

I don't use english in daily life, but i do use when i am in an international ambient. Its the same thing.
But i have to say is nice to know americans are taught about this system, but americans should do an effort to use it when talking to someone from another country, since this person did the effort to learn another language to talk to you.

I don't know what to say. Why would I go out of my way to talk about the metric system? It's pointless in a random conversation.

[Keske]

I voted Yes simply because I have family in the US and when I am there I usually have to do som handywork and using american tools to make anything is impossible.

[Polarthief]

Lastly the date thing...i vote everyone should go month/day/year...I dont know how its done else where but when i ask someone the date they say "December 12th, 2012"
the say month then the day then the year...makes more sense to me to write it the same way.

The date's a bit different though and has little to no change if we were to change it. It's just be swapping some Xs with some Ys (e.g., XX/YY/ZZ in some places now becomes YY/XX/ZZ)

Whereas with Metric, it just makes the lives of Americans so much easier should we swap to that superior system.

[obdigore]

*Coughs* Um, no, people from another country typically DON'T learn our language...

Yes, they do. More people speak English, if not their first language, but they can speak it, than any other language in the world.

[LolretKJ]

I already use the metric system when talking to most people. I got so used to it being a biology major.

[vastx]

TBH, I'd actually be for having English be the official language (because technically, it already is, despite a lot of immigrants speaking other languages), except with that, you're not forced to use it. That's like saying you're FORCED to use French when you visit France or Italian when you visit Italy, when you're not, but you may have a hard time.

You're more than welcome to use imperial units should we switch to Metric, you just might be called silly for using a system that essentially a child would use.

Also, I was just quoting you because I was laughing with you. The guy's a dumbass.

---------- Post added 2012-12-13 at 12:42 AM ----------



*Coughs* Um, no, people from another country typically DON'T learn our language...

Guy seems to be the type of politician who doesn't know when to shut up. Imperial system appears to be child-like because of the time in which it came to fruition. But like I said, it works. It's a proven method of measure. I'd imagine in time, we'll switch to metric, but won't be anytime soon.

[Ron Burgundy]

no, why? because we are better than everyone else.


its like asking UK to go to the EURO.

[Polarthief]

Yes, they do. More people speak English, if not their first language, but they can speak it, than any other language in the world.

No, they don't.

You must live in an all white/all born-in-American town. There are many across the US and hell I used to live in one when I was a kid.

[obdigore]

No, they don't.

You must live in an all white/all born-in-American town. There are many across the US and hell I used to live in one when I was a kid.

No, I don't. Your assumption that people who move to the US are the only ones with a desire to learn the language of commerce is cute, however.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/doriecla...obal-business/

There are tons of articles from numerous sites (and quite a few foreign ones) that say if you want to be in the world of business, you have to understand English. It is the fall back language for EVERYONE if they don't speak the same primary language.

[Chrysia]

No, they don't.

You must live in an all white/all born-in-American town. There are many across the US and hell I used to live in one when I was a kid.

An estimated 26-30% of the world speaks English at least as a second language. That's a significant chunk, and covers much of the international trade community in all likelihood.

[Collegeguy]

Ill type everything again to make things clearer, i think i failed to express myself in previous posts

I don't think U.S.A should switch, what i think is that the metric system should be taught in schools too.
Almost every non-english speaking country of the world study english, to use in an international context, this does not mean their mother language are not taught.

So americans should learn the metric system to use when talking to someone from another country that uses the metric system (international system), just like everyone in this world should learn english (international language). It's just to make communications easier.
When i am in my country, i speak my mother language. When i am in an international ambient i speak english, a poor english, but i try. So an american could use the imperial system when not in an international ambient, but should use the metric system in an international ambient.

What's the problem on it ?? All the world learns another language to communicate with America, why americans can't do this for the sake of communication ?

We already do teach it in schools. Who has convinced you that we don't?

[stuck4cash]

It's the decimals that irks you? Well, if USA converts to metric, you would probably buy a 500 g mallet instead. Problem solved.

Chances are it's actually a 500g mallet and a 1.xxxxxxxxlb mallet in reality. After all, it's most likely made in China.

Why are people complaining so much about the costs? The costs to maintain 2 different measuring systems around the world is a much much higher ongoing cost then a country (even as big as the US) swapping. I realise you can't do it all in one go, but phase it in over a period of time or small areas do it first and lead the way for the rest to follow suit.

After all, most things (cars + all electronic equipment) have a life cycle of under 20 years and the rest can be converted over a longer period (road signs etc) if necessary. Say for the next 30 years it's illegal to produce anything without both units of measure on it and after that time you can't produce anything new with imperial on it.

Of course, the US would never vote for that, even if it made sense. There's a *lot* of people that are so hell bent on "being American" and "the old way" etc that it'd never get through. Unless California or NYC started it... then it might take off as the other states realise they're starting to get behind.

[Krozard]

As an American: I find that metric makes much more sense than inches/feet/miles/etc...)
I would be in favor of converting to metric.
I even enjoy the 24 hour clock more than the 12 hour clock and wouldn't mind a change, although I'm fine with just setting my own clocks to the 24 hour format when they allow.

Date format though, would complicate things. DD/MM/YYYY makes more sense than MM/DD/YYYY, but MM/DD/YYYY has been in-use for so long that a switch would most likely cause far too many problems for it to be worth a switch. (Although I personally think that the YYYY/MM/DD format makes the most sense (at least in terms of organization)).

[Auloria]

I don't understand why we haven't yet. Science is much easier in metric, and collaborating internationally is a huge pain if you're building anything.

Didn't the US bully Canada into making the switch, and then changed its mind?

[obdigore]

Chances are it's actually a 500g mallet and a 1.xxxxxxxxlb mallet in reality. After all, it's most likely made in China.

Why are people complaining so much about the costs? The costs to maintain 2 different measuring systems around the world is a much much higher ongoing cost then a country (even as big as the US) swapping. I realise you can't do it all in one go, but phase it in over a period of time or small areas do it first and lead the way for the rest to follow suit.

After all, most things (cars + all electronic equipment) have a life cycle of under 20 years and the rest can be converted over a longer period (road signs etc) if necessary. Say for the next 30 years it's illegal to produce anything without both units of measure on it and after that time you can't produce anything new with imperial on it.

Of course, the US would never vote for that, even if it made sense. There's a *lot* of people that are so hell bent on "being American" and "the old way" etc that it'd never get through. Unless California or NYC started it... then it might take off as the other states realise they're starting to get behind.

Almost all our cars (the ones without digital speed displays) already show Miles and KM's.

[Linkedblade]

Science is much easier in metric

If you are doing science or mathematics at any level of importance, university and after, units are not a problem. Metric doesn't "make science easier." The only thing common units between nations does is create an easier understanding for the common folk to understand each other. For scientists and mathematicians it doesn't even matter.

Not to mention that many things have already converted. Most food items have both metric and customary units on them. My car has an analogue speedometer the outer most ring is mph and the inner ring is km/h. Going by the "makes science easier" logic, all cars should be in m/s, all liquids in liters, etc. But even in other countries that isn't true.

Question for our European friends: Are soft drinks sold in 500 mL bottles or .5L bottles?