On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 04:43:59 +0000 (UTC), "Reg Edwards"
wrote:


The French should be given full credit for inventing the unit of
length by correctly spelling it, the "METRE".

Reg, I think the US was one of the relatively early signatories to the
metre convention, but reserved the position to spell "metre" as
"meter".

I can't recall when the UK signed the convention, my recollection is
that we in VK signed it much later than both, however we metricated
earlier than the UK, and the US hasn't metricated (metericated???) in
the true sense of the word.

I don't miss the days of rods roods poles perches chains etc, without
mentioning other dimensional units.


Also, this avoids confusion with the frequently used word "METER", a
measuring instrument, when they are both mentioned in the same
sentence.
==========================================



Oh well.

Give some people 25.4mm and they will take 16,609.344m! (Lost
something in the translation I suspect!)

Owen
--

Owen Duffy wrote:

SNIPPED



Give some people 25.4mm and they will take 16,609.344m! (Lost
something in the translation I suspect!)

Owen
--

Hmmm ... 16,609.344m = 10 miles does it not??

Not only did it lose something in translation, it lost something in units,

Give some people an inch and they will take a mile grin NOT 10
miles!!!!!!!!!!!

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 06:56:50 -0500, Amos Keag
wrote:

Owen Duffy wrote:

SNIPPED



Give some people 25.4mm and they will take 16,609.344m! (Lost
something in the translation I suspect!)

Owen
--

Hmmm ... 16,609.344m = 10 miles does it not??

No, it is not. The mistake is the repeated 6, it should have been
1,609.344m.

Apologies... Owen
--

Dear Owen:
As I recall, very early in The Republic's life, the use of the metric
system was made legal.

Rods, chains, links, feet, inches, and degrees are bound to legal
descriptions of land here in The Republic in a manner that is likely to be
permanent. Some land descriptions sound like this:

The east half of the NE quarter of section 24, T16N, R8W. This describes 80
acres in the corner of a specific section (one mile on each side) in the
16th township north of a reference and the eighth west of a reference. An
ideal township is 36 square miles (6 by 6 miles).

Out East, some descriptions reference objects that have not been seen
for a few hundred years. Precision GPS and its required antennas will, with
time and care, change the some properties are described.

73 Mac N8TT

--
J. Mc Laughlin; Michigan U.S.A.
Home:
"Owen Duffy"

snip

Reg, I think the US was one of the relatively early signatories to the
metre convention, but reserved the position to spell "metre" as
"meter".

I can't recall when the UK signed the convention, my recollection is
that we in VK signed it much later than both, however we metricated
earlier than the UK, and the US hasn't metricated (metericated???) in
the true sense of the word.

I don't miss the days of rods roods poles perches chains etc, without
mentioning other dimensional units.

snip
Owen
--