Poll: I hate the imperial system. America, I'm looking at you! Give it up, metric is simply better!!!!

[Gimelbub]

First, oh fuck, stop mistaking one country for a whole continent. I'm pretty sure the whole LATIN AMERICA uses the metric system. Even Canada is quite fond of the metric system. It's just the stupid US.

I'm sick of hearing this. There is no continent known as America. There is a group of continents known as the Americas, composed of North and South America. Just America almost always refers to the U.S. In fact, I have never heard anyone anywhere say "America" and mean anything that isn't the U.S.

Anyway, I think we should make the metric system standard. However, I think we should still be able to use imperial in informal situations. Too many people in this country have been using it for too long to ditch it completely.

 

[deleted_by_strongbad]

First, oh fuck, stop mistaking one country for a whole continent. I'm pretty sure the whole LATIN AMERICA uses the metric system. Even Canada is quite fond of the metric system. It's just the stupid US.

I'm sick of hearing this. There is no continent known as America. There is a group of continents known as the Americas, composed of North and South America. Just America almost always refers to the U.S. In fact, I have never heard anyone anywhere say "America" and mean anything that isn't the U.S.

Anyway, I think we should make the metric system standard. However, I think we should still be able to use imperial in informal situations. Too many people in this country have been using it for too long to ditch it completely.

with the generic America term, I agree, though we should all just join up and make a supernation rather than change the term maybe not, but it'd be interesting.

But as far as the using the metric system in an official capacity but sticking with imperial for the every day: That's exactly what we've been doing for 40 or so years now. This doesn't really work because when people need to use the metric system they think in imperial terms. At my university our first week we covered a basic rundown of the metric system for a Biology Lab class, about 15% of the class dropped right there because they couldn't wrap their frail little minds around a new/alien (to them) system of measurement. This'll sound like hyperbole, but utilizing a system of measurement structures the terms and ways a person perceives of the world around them, we should all either use multiple systems or at the least the most accurate, non-subjective, sensible system.

 

[e2density]

I'm American and I hate it too. Why can't we just have everything wonderfully grouped into multiples of 10.

 

[Verex]

Heh, is there a petition we can give to Obama to change over to the metric system? I'd sign it.

 

[maq493]

Metric is clearly the superior system of measurement. It actually makes sense, you see.

 

[FalloutJack]

Nah, don't feel like it. Neither will the U.S.

*Thread disappears in a puff of logic*

 

[OniaPL]

Metric system is superior, as Imperial doesn't even make any sense.

But if America changes to metric, terrorists win.

 

[Smooth Operator]

It would be a very simple cross over if they just started teaching the metric system in all schools, old people have huge issues with new concepts so it's no use barking up that tree, but to kids it's as simple as breathing.

And on that note the time system needs to be switched up, again start with kids, we old bastards will be calling it the devils taint for sure, but progress must be made.

 

[Nashidar]

Anything done on a international level is usually done in the metric system.

Unless NASA screw it up so you end burying a million dollar Mars rover into the planet.

 

[bdcjacko]

nevers. I like my confusing system. Metric system is just so lame and you know it plays soccer. Ugh. Give me inches or give me death.

 

[MikeOfThunder]

In short, imperial sucks. Let it die.

I think I'm in love! I too have a certain loathing for the outdated shit that is the imperial system.

It should just be scrapped completely, on a global scale.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

No arguments here. I mean, look at how we measure distance.

12 inches=1 foot
3 feet=1 yard (even though yards are rarely used in every day life)
5,280 feet=1 mile.

Well, that's great. What if I have to measure something that's a lot more then 3 feet long, but way less then FIVE FUCKING THOUSAND feet long? I'm kinda fucked.

 

[nekoali]

See, as a resident of the US... I hate the imperial system as well. Confusing, arbitrary and annoying, and a hold out of a time that should be past.. Nearly everyone else has moved to metric, we're just to stubborn. As far as 'it would confuse people', it already does. And no matter when we change over, there is going to be a period of confusion. So let's just step into the 21st century already and get it over with.

 

[Fappy]

I think America will hop on board eventually. While we normally don't conform to foreign practices (we're PROUD TO BE AMERRIKKANS) its only natural that we'd adopt the far more logical system, especially considering the implications of globalization and all that nonsense.

 

[Random Argument Man]

"US" think about it..

Would rather ask a Quarter-pounder with cheese or "Royal with cheese"?

 

[instantbenz]

screw cm, use picas!

I'm not opposed to metric, imperial was just what i was taught and thus i'm comfortable with it.

I'd be down if they'd change schooling and the current elementary gen would have it all understood. We'd be the old folk going 'huh? 20C ... it can't be that cold'.

 

[Kenko]

"US" think about it..

Would rather ask a Quarter-pounder with cheese or "Royal with cheese"?

Its called Quarter-Pounder everywhere else, the french are just d-bags '

OT: Cant really understand why the US hasnt switched over to a much more basic, more accurate and easy to use system.

 

[Rblade]

well all was probably allready said. but the simple fact is that alot of laws are based and balanced around the metric system. first and for most, newton.

the force required to accelerate 1 kilogram 1 meter per second. and that unit is used an awefull lot in science/enigineering and making that into the force that is needed to accelerate x pound by 1 feet per second is just a much less clean number.

same goes for pressure. pascale is 1 newton per square meter. so there it gets worse because you have pound pressure per square inch. it's just a pain and most basic laws where formulated in metric SI units.

hell if it wasn't completely impossible to implement I think a time system that has a muliple of 10 worth of hours, with the second adjusted accordingly, as the framework would be way better then the whole 60/20/24 madness we are currently working our way around. it's unintuitive and always requires you to grab a calculator. we are unfortunatly enough, stuck with it.

 

[bushwhacker2k]

Because we are America, and we use whatever the fuck we want because we can.
If you disagree you clearly hate freedom and are a communist, socialist, or some evil combination of the two.

Clearly.

Anyways it isn't a huge deal but I don't understand why we don't use the metric system either, it seems much more simplified and practical, actually I wasn't even aware it was called the Imperial system.

The metric system has no soul!

It works too well, it has no idiosyncrasies! You aren't friends with the metric system, you use the metric system.

What numbers do you think robots use? The metric system, because it's efficient. I don't know about you, but I ain't no goddamn robot!

I! AM! A! MAN!

Also it takes effort to change these things. And we have other things to do with our effort.

EXACTLY! We the people of the United States of America realized a looming threat. Machines taking over. Therefore we continue to use the Imperial system so that we can confuse the machines by making them do extra calculations. Taking up their precious processing cycles, so that we can drain their power source and cause them to hesitate, thereby giving us more time to launch our attack.

We are helping the world by planning for an inevitable attack. The world will thank the U.S. some day for continuing to support the Standard system. (Yeah, standard, deal with it like you do Soccer.)

So I have YOU to blame for computer lag! Curse you! >:O