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Why do people who try to convince others to switch to metric focus so much on the conversions? (herbicide.fallcounty.omg.lol)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by klymilark@herbicide.fallcounty.omg.lol to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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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

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[–] adb@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Do people struggle that much more to divide dollars compared to feet?

I mean I totally get that base 12 is pretty cool for calculator-less maths (though not as cool for base 60) but ultimately, we still have a base 10 numbering system.

So yea, base 10 units for base 10 numbers. Using the same all the way down makes it easier to learn how to handle the more complicated divisions in all cases, you don’t have to switch logic if you see what I mean.

Of course, to each their own. The best case for metric remains that it’s the system everyone else has agreed on.

[–] klymilark@herbicide.fallcounty.omg.lol -1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I mean, not really, it's just the lack of factors that comes from having a base 10 numbering system, which is my the single big issue I personally have with metric. I still think it should be adopted, generally, because standards are good, and in the modern world it makes more sense. I just also think we should be doing base 12 instead of base 10 xD

[–] saimen@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But how do the lack of factors even affect you in your daily life?

[–] klymilark@herbicide.fallcounty.omg.lol 1 points 1 day ago

Regularly enough when I'm cooking/baking/doing coffee math that it's worth being a sticking point in my mind. I divide by 3 with measurements frequently, and admittedly I have some Brain Funk that makes me more likely to be made severely uncomfortable if I cannot divide exactly (especially by 3). That's definitely a me thing, but it's also why I like having it as an option