It seems like a weird point to bring up. How often do y’all convert your measurements? It’s not even a daily thing. If I’m measuring something, I either do it in inches, or feet, rarely yards. I’ve never once had to convert feet into miles, and I can’t imagine I’m unique in this. When I have needed to, it’s usually converting down (I.e. 1/3 of a foot), which imperial does handle better in more cases.

Like. I don’t care if we switch, I do mostly use metric personally, it just seems like a weird point to be the most common pro-metric argument when it’s also the one I’m least convinced by due to how metric is based off of base 10 numbering, which has so many problems with it.

Edit: After reading/responding a lot in the comments, it does seem like there’s a fundamental difference in how distance is viewed in metric/imperial countries. I can’t quite put my finger on how, but it seems the difference is bigger than 1 mile = 1.6km

  • Kristell@herbicide.fallcounty.omg.lolOP
    13·
    16 hours ago

    Yes, in base 10 it does make the conversions easier, and we do use base 10. I don’t think we should, but we do, but also the money conversion is something that is a relatively daily occurrence, not something that doesn’t frequently happen like most distance conversions. While, yes, being 5 foot 8 inches is how we usually say people’s heights, we do regularly just… Not convert. TVs are sold as 55 inch, not as 1 yard, 1 foot, and 7 inches, same as the average female height isn’t 1 meter, 6 decimeters, 7 centimeters, and 5 millimeters in the US. It’s 167.5cm.

    • MrFinnbean@lemmy.world
      8·
      14 hours ago

      You asked why people bring conversions up when talking about metric system and i tried to explain it. When you are used to a system where you can do it, its jarring when people try to say system where it is impossible is better.

      Both systems work in everyday use just as well, but one system is superior in those situations where you need to calculate something little different from the norm.

      Personal example from last year was when person who owns a road with me and few others wanted to make it wider for heavy machinery (he is fellling lot of trees and he will get better price if the trucks collecting the logs can drive closer). It was really easy for me to calculate how many m² i would loose field and forest area when the road is widened because even if the amount road is widened is in cm and the lenght of the road is in km those numbers mix well. I could easily calculate everything accurately, while in feet and miles i think i would just had to questimate it.