South Africa uses the comma as a country regardless of the language of the writer. I think the main point (excuse the pun) is getting rid of the comma for the thousand separator where it can be confused with the decimal point in a lot of languages. The use of the comma or point are optional, it’s the same in the USA and probably every other country that is a member of BIPM. I had not realised until recently that this standard had been adopted by so many countries. Hence 1 000 000,0 or 1 000 000.0. I don’t really care whether it’s a space or a thin space as long as the comma is gone. I’ve done this for 30 years in the US and no one has questioned what I’ve done. When you think about it Ma Bell decided on the dash for the spacer, they could just as easily have written the phone number 201,555,1212 or 201.555.1212 or 201 555 1212. I think the last one is just as understandable and easily read.
Mike Payne > On 22 Mar 2016, at 17:50, John Altounji <phy...@msn.com> wrote: > > I agree. > > > John Altounji > One size does not fit all. > Social promotion ruined Education. <> > http://bit.do/tounj <http://bit.do/tounj> > > From: USMA [mailto:usma-boun...@colostate.edu] On Behalf Of > jmsteele9...@sbcglobal.net > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2016 5:35 PM > To: Michael Payne <metricmik...@gmail.com>; USMA <usma@colostate.edu> > Subject: [USMA 136] Re: Formatting numbers and the decimal marker > > In the Preface to the SI Brochure, the BIPM notes that THEY use the point as > the decimal marker in the English text and the comma in the French text (the > only two languages they support). > > I think the logical conclusion is that the English language and > English-speaking countries use the point, OTHER languages may use the comma. > To avoid confusion, neither may use either as a thousands divider (at least > in an SI measurement context), only the space should be used. I am aware > they recommend a thin space, but on the Internet, there is a problem. The > Unicode non-breaking thin space is unreliable and does not decode in many > browsers or fonts. I think it would be almost mandatory to use the regular > non-breaking space. Also, I think the financial community will not support > the space as thousands separator, but I support it for SI data. > > In an English Wikipedia article, the decimal marker should be the point. > > > From: Michael Payne <metricmik...@gmail.com <mailto:metricmik...@gmail.com>> > To: USMA <usma@colostate.edu <mailto:usma@colostate.edu>> > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2016 3:56 PM > Subject: [USMA 133] Formatting numbers and the decimal marker > > I suggested a change to the Wikipedia manual of style the other day. Reading > some of the comments today I realise I need some support form USMA members > who in my opinion are all rational people. Go > tohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Manual_of_style > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Manual_of_style> Page down to > Formatting numbers (the subject above) and read what I have proposed. Please > support my suggestion. > > Mike Payne. aka avi8tor. > > _______________________________________________ > USMA mailing list > USMA@colostate.edu <mailto:USMA@colostate.edu> > https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma > <https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma> >
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