[USMA:31222] RE: US Customary on Australian Pay TV

[Carleton MacDonald]

In answer to your question at the bottom ("Why do Americans consider it to be acceptable to be alone in a unit of measure?")  I think you already gave the reason (no. 5).   Carleton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Brenton Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2004 23:40 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:31218] US Customary on Australian Pay TV I found this post on the www.diynetwork.com.  Below, I have cut and pasted the main points of the metric aspect of that discussion. It appeared as though the user ‘Mack’ did not oppose metric, but rather the user ‘joecaption’.   To view the actual thread, click on the following link: http://boards.diynetwork.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=8271906766&f=9321916776&m=205103592&r=244105592#244105592   Mack  posted 10/07/2004 07:55 Lay #15 base felt to be secured using 25mm simplex fasteners To renew roof covering, fixing 30yr shingles using 32mm fasteners, color to be discussed. joecaption   posted 10/07/2004 11:36 The price sounds fine but I would suggest 30 lb instead of 15 lb felt.  15 lb is for flooring not roofing.  Also why is he quoting metric dimensions instead of English?   Mack  posted 10/07/2004 12:23 The roofer sounded either like he was from Australia or English.   Rather then reply to that post written on 10 July 2004, I decided to post my own Australian letter on 03 Oct 2004.    However, upon clicking “submit,” an automated response returned that informed me that my post contained certain words that have triggered moderation of the post.  These words mostly cover political and religious topics, which are TOTALLY off the topic covered by HGTV.   I am now waiting to see if over the next few days for it to appear, or whether it is deleted or edited at the moderator’s discretion.   Below, in {brackets} is a copy of what I wrote.   {I recently discovered this channel when I connected to the new Digital Pay TV service here in Australia.  I am interested in some of the programmes that are on offer.    However, I write with my frustration with the unit of measure that appears is only still used in the US.   Australia, along with other English speaking countries such as Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand etc, have all each gone to great expense to change to metric during the 1970’s.  Non-English speaking countries have used metric for much longer than 100 years.   In the 1970's there was a major effort to increase the use of the metric system in the US, and Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975.  However, American consumers generally rejected the use of metric units, and it has not progressed very far.  Reference: http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/usmetric.html   During my primary and secondary school education during the 1970’s & 80’s, we were solely taught metric in Australia.  I understand that US school children are also taught metric as part of their curriculum.  From there, I entered into the Building Industry as an apprentice, and I have only ever worked with metric for the last 20 years.   When I watch any US programme on this channel, I have noted that the Americans are only ever referring to units of measure presented in fractions of an inch, degrees Fahrenheit, etc.  As an Australian, I have only a limited concept of these measures.   My mother who is 25 years older than me, says she was taught the inch/pound (imperial) system when she went to school in the 1950’s.  However, when she was employed in the home interior decorating industry, from 1974 she says she was required to use metric with the calculation of wallpaper drops, paint volume etc.  She says she is very comfortable working with metric, and even uses centimetres in her own dressmaking.   Whilst, my mother says she still prefers to say her own height in feet/inches.  She prefers not to work with units which involve the manipulation of fractions of an inch etc.  She informs me, she is not proficient with fractions.  That, using centimetres are just so much easier as they are decimal based, like our $ currencies.  She said she would not want to return to working in inches.   When I speak with adults who are in their 20’s (about half my age) who have only been taught metric here in Australia and they state their height, I have noted that some may say it in feet/inches, others may say it in centimetres.  However, when I ask the one’s who stated in feet/inches “do they know how many inches there are in a foot,” they general answer “no.”  They just say, “That is how my parents talk.”  (In other words, it is a description of their height, rather than a measurement they know how to work with.)   I also discovered that when I am viewing many US internet web sites, that they often provide a button that will provide the unit of measure in “US Standard” or “Metric.” (Example: http://beef.allrecipes.com/az/mricnShphrdsPi.asp Customize this Recipe Convert to:  U.S Standard / Metric)   It appears that the US is the only industrialised country that is still actively using the “olde” inch/pound units, hence the term “US Standard.”  When the US exports television programmes to metric countries with US Standard units, they will be fought with difficulties, as these countries are either phasing out, or have abandoned the old inch/pound (imperial) units for many decades, and in some cases centuries.   Therefore, many of the US programmes that are being broadcast here in Australia may have limited interest, and may be regarded as nothing more than info-tainment.  I concede that they may have a niche market for the older Australians, such as my father who is 67, who is still very imperial centric.  However, they may not cater for the general population.   From a search on Google, I discovered this article written back in 1995 by the United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration.  http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/summer95/p95su14.htm   It appears that not much has progressed since this article was written.  However, some of the key points I noted were:   1) The United States faces serious difficulties in international trade.     2) The United States shares the dubious distinction with Burma and Liberia of being one of only three nations that have not converted to the modern metric system.  As the only industrialized nation in the world that has not gone metric, information exchange, and in engineering and construction projects involving other nations. 3) Most workmen's tapes include metric as well as foot/inch. 4) Electronic equipment can do metric at the push of a button or with very minor programming. 5) Americans are stubborn. 6) The British are stubborn, too, but Great Britain began a transition to the metric system as a condition of entering the European Common Market in 1965. 7) Canada successfully went metric in the 1970s. If metric countries do not watch your channel because they do not want to work with US Standard measurements, I believe these programmes may ultimately be withdrawn from the channel line up.  Which, I would be disappointed if this was to occur.   I am interested in the view of Americans.  Why do they consider it to be acceptable to be alone in a unit of measure?  Are they concerned about international trade?}   I recently spoke with a 36 year old woman here in Australia who collaborated the number one point .  She ordered some Woodworking books from Time Life http://www.timelife.com.au/index.asp?pagetype=product&productid=532&categoryid=4   When the first book arrived, she discovered that all dimensions were in feet/inches.  She told me she wrote in the front of the first introductory book some metric conversions.  She said, she found it so unfamiliar to work with, that she rang Time Life and cancelled the remainder of the monthly book deliveries.    She further said, she still has the first book at home, and there is a book case she wants to make.  However, she feels she will have difficulty going to the hardware store and quoting timers in US Customary measurements.  So, the book has not been used.