The 39th Root of 92

Post by einhverfr » Fri, Aug 19, 2016, 5:01 PM UTC

jacobolus wrote: post #68

einhverfr wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if it is an internal/external optimization. The whole point of metric is that it is built around the number system, leading to easy conversion between units. The whole point of the American unit system is that they are optimized for specific use, but definitely not for conversion. ISO paper sizes are a great counterexample, actually, because they took an application, rather than a conversion-centric approach…

ISO paper sizes assume that content is scale-invariant. US paper sizes assume that you have specific design sizes to your printing technology (picas) and then give you a grid of an even number of those units. Graphic designers / typographers I know tend to prefer the US paper sizes. Regular people who want to make photocopies of enlarged/reduced pages tend to prefer ISO sizes.

Post by einhverfr » Fri, Aug 19, 2016, 5:05 PM UTC

reitanqild wrote: post #49

einhverfr wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, right up until your car lease contract limits you to 2000 Swedish Miles per year. (Note, these are about 6x longer than American miles). Or you buy fruit at the supermarket in Indonesia in ounces and kg (an ounce is an hg).

I guess anyone who knows what Swedish mil is will specify kilometres instead. I cannot remember a single time I have seen a contract specifying mil instead of km. ("Mil" == 10km == 10 000m is used here as well only not in formal or scientific contexts that I can think of but maybe that is a difference between Sweden and here.)