Editing Encyclopedia:Measurements Debate (section)

== There are places where metric is seriously inappropriate ==

Someone added the intelligence to a [[folktale]] reported at [[John the Conqueror]] that sixty acres equalled (243,000&nbsp;m²) in metric.  Apart from being a perfect example of the uselessness of the metric system in real life situations and human-scale applications, this struck me as glaringly inappropriate.  I removed the metric reference from the article, but preserved it on the talk page.  [[User:Ihcoyc|Smerdis of Tlön]] 19:55, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC)

: C'mon, of course 243'000 m² is too accurate a conversion (the [[acre]] depended on region and soil quality anyhow), although one could go as far as 242'811.385'344 m² or 242'812.356'592'455... m² (US survey measure). Sane metric sizes for such a rough value include 24 [[hectare|ha]], 24¼ ha, 24.25 ha, 25 ha, 0.24 km², ¼ km², 0.25 km². I took the liberty to add 25 ha to the article. [[User:Crissov|Crissov]] 22:48, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC)

:: Exactly.  Metric is still appropriate if the conversion is done correctly.  Never give more significant figures in a conversion than in the original (except if the original is an exact measure).  The hectare is no less human-scale friendly than the acre.  So, it was only an example of the wrong metric units being used (&nbsp;m² instead of ha).  Now that this has been fixed it really is "a perfect example of the uselessness of the metric system in real life situations and human-scale applications," ... as perfect an example you can get of an untrue statement.  <b>There are no places where metric is inappropriate unless Imperial/US is also.</b> [[User:Jimp|Jimp]] 15Jun05

:::I suggest instead that if metric units must be added, they should be figured to seven decimal places: the better to acquaint those of us in our backwater with its superior precision and rigor.  [[User:Ihcoyc|Smerdis of Tlön]] 03:29, 19 July 2005 (UTC)

::::I hope you're not serious.
::::There are very few instances where metric is not appropriate. - [[User:Omegatron|Omegatron]] 14:18, July 19, 2005 (UTC)

:::::I wonder whether Smerdis is serious.  Yes, there are very few instances where metric is not appropriate and in (most or maybe all of) these instances neither are US/Imperial units appropriate. [[User:Jimp|Jimp]] 6Sep05