I've personally seen more of the "don't care--won't object" people in my environment than the adamantly anti-metric ones.
So far as having an administration push for conversion, it would be good to have at least the government enable standalone metric labeling, like the FPLA amendment being passed. I agree that this will only have a limited effect, but at least it would be a start. Also, there needs to be perhaps a recasting of our effort. For the most part, it seems like many conversations about metric conversion are just about "conversion, " with the benefits being seen as secondary. We need to focus on the positive, on the benefits of metric usage. Isn't there a classic sales approach that hooks the prospective buyer with the positive solution and then offers a product? Like asking someone how would they like to save a bundle of money, make a particular task easier, work more efficiently, be a better informed consumer, or make fewer mistakes. And then letting them know that going metric accomplishes just that. I'm sure all of us here could provide many metric examples for all these hooks. Remek On 4/30/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
In my office we have three types of people: - those who feel this should have been done a long ago and are upset it wasn't (me) - those who feel this should have been done a long time ago, aren't particularly upset that it wasn't, however, and would not object if it were done (about half) - those who are adamant that this must NEVER happen because "We are America and we don't change and we don't want anyone to tell us to change" (the other half) As much as some think that it's progressing nicely behind the scenes, I really feel that this will only affect manufacturing and some packaging. Rational-metric food packages are one thing; no one really cares what's on them, for they only buy "the big one" or "the small one" anyway. But the resistance comes when - - you are trying to get the contractors to change how they work - you want to change highways from miles to km - you want people to buy apples and hamburger by the kg and not the lb - you want the oil industry to use a real measurement and not the non-existent "barrel" etc. And the only thing that is going to change this is a President who makes it a priority and a Congress that goes along with him or her. It has to be a Federal push - and it can't be made "voluntary". That flat out will not work. Given the "leave me alone" feelings of half the population, I'm afraid I won't see much change in what remains of my lifetime. Carleton -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Brian White" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sad to say, but much of what Harry writes is the truth. > > Which brings up a question. How do we compell the Federal Government to > start (re-start) metrication efforts? > > On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:17:42 -0700, Harry Wyeth wrote > > For years I have been pessimistic about metrication in the US absent > > a real federal leadership effort. No amount of messaging on this > > site will change this. Unless the feds do something, it will be SOS- > > -the same old story. Those of us who are so inclined can look at > > our metric digital automotive displays all day long, and no one will > > pay attention to us. > > > > Forgive me for being pessimistic, but from my point of v! iew, no t a > > lot has changed for the better in the last ten years. It is so sad > > that it would take just a small push from the feds, such as > > requiring that all milk cartons sold in military PXs be in liter > > size containers, and so forth. > > > > HARRY WYETH >
