4 ms·

I would really like if americans could stop using deprecated units like gallons and miles. Especially when starting a paragraph using regular tons. It would rea

by Fiahil 10y ago

I would really like if americans could stop using deprecated units like gallons and miles. Especially when starting a paragraph using regular tons. It would really make the whole thing more meaningful.

linkregister 10y ago
Agreed, but since this is an American website your complaint is unlikely to change any minds. When I lived in other countries, I adapted to metric and learned enough of the native languages to get by. Maybe it's not too much to ask that we let Americans use their own units on their own websites. I don't whine about people speaking French on Skyrock.
- spiderfarmer 10y ago
  Oh I'm so sorry, I feel like I'm intruding. How did I end up here? They should have used an IP blocker..
  - hueving 10y ago
    Nobody cares if you participate. It's just pointless to complain that US styles are used in a US article posted on a US website.
- serge2k 10y ago
  It really is at this point. All but what, 3 countries? America deserves to take a bit of a beating for their embarrassing inability to learn the metric system.
  - dang 10y ago
    Please stop posting flamewar-style comments here.
    - serge2k 10y ago
      Sorry I'll get back to circlejerking.
xigency 10y ago
[deleted]
- serge2k 10y ago
  Why would I even want to know the conversion ratios to silly old fashioned units?
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- Fiahil 10y ago
  Thank you! I had absolutely no idea there was 3 different units named 'ton' with 3 different conversions factor (<- this is nuts). Obviously, "regular tons" were -to me- the ones weighting 1000 kilograms.
  - deciplex 10y ago
    They are all close enough in mass for colloquial use though. It doesn't affect your understanding of this article if a ton / tonne is 1000 kg, 1016 kg, or 907 kg. I agree with the parent tho - let's just all start using metric :-)
dang 10y ago
We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11872371 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11872371 and marked it off-topic.
smt88 10y ago
> It would really make the whole thing more meaningful No, it would make the whole thing easier to understand. The meaning is unchanged by the units. Pedantry aside, it's very possible that the share of HN users who understand US units natively would be similar to the share who understand English natively. I think it's fine to be irritated that someone used a system you don't understand natively, but we do it constantly on this site by using English (and it isn't fair to judge someone else for using the units they're comfortable with).

by Fiahil 10y ago

linkregister 10y ago

Agreed, but since this is an American website your complaint is unlikely to change any minds. When I lived in other countries, I adapted to metric and learned enough of the native languages to get by. Maybe it's not too much to ask that we let Americans use their own units on their own websites. I don't whine about people speaking French on Skyrock.

spiderfarmer 10y ago
Oh I'm so sorry, I feel like I'm intruding. How did I end up here? They should have used an IP blocker..
- hueving 10y ago
  Nobody cares if you participate. It's just pointless to complain that US styles are used in a US article posted on a US website.
serge2k 10y ago
It really is at this point. All but what, 3 countries? America deserves to take a bit of a beating for their embarrassing inability to learn the metric system.
- dang 10y ago
  Please stop posting flamewar-style comments here.
  - serge2k 10y ago
    Sorry I'll get back to circlejerking.

xigency 10y ago

[deleted]

serge2k 10y ago
Why would I even want to know the conversion ratios to silly old fashioned units?
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
Fiahil 10y ago
Thank you! I had absolutely no idea there was 3 different units named 'ton' with 3 different conversions factor (<- this is nuts). Obviously, "regular tons" were -to me- the ones weighting 1000 kilograms.
- deciplex 10y ago
  They are all close enough in mass for colloquial use though. It doesn't affect your understanding of this article if a ton / tonne is 1000 kg, 1016 kg, or 907 kg. I agree with the parent tho - let's just all start using metric :-)

dang 10y ago

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11872371 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11872371 and marked it off-topic.

smt88 10y ago

> It would really make the whole thing more meaningful No, it would make the whole thing easier to understand. The meaning is unchanged by the units. Pedantry aside, it's very possible that the share of HN users who understand US units natively would be similar to the share who understand English natively. I think it's fine to be irritated that someone used a system you don't understand natively, but we do it constantly on this site by using English (and it isn't fair to judge someone else for using the units they're comfortable with).