<!--QuoteBegin--xect+Sep 22 2003, 04:50 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (xect @ Sep 22 2003, 04:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Not only that, but, unlike the imperial, it makes sense.
I mean, you have some basic units. Multiply by 1000 for each higher prefix (k, M, G, T, P). Divide by a thousand for each lower (m, u, n, p)
How many inches for a yard? how many yards for a mile? No idea, but I'm pretty sure it's not in 10's.
And what exactly is the point of the Fahrenheit system? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I can't agree more.
<!--QuoteBegin--RPG_Jssmfulhud+Sep 22 2003, 02:46 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (RPG_Jssmfulhud @ Sep 22 2003, 02:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--xect+Sep 22 2003, 04:50 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (xect @ Sep 22 2003, 04:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Not only that, but, unlike the imperial, it makes sense.
I mean, you have some basic units. Multiply by 1000 for each higher prefix (k, M, G, T, P). Divide by a thousand for each lower (m, u, n, p)
How many inches for a yard? how many yards for a mile? No idea, but I'm pretty sure it's not in 10's.
And what exactly is the point of the Fahrenheit system? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> I can't agree more. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> So, explain to me why all your languages have different conjugation rules again? And sentence structure? And spelling? And dialects? And meaning for the same sounds? And cannot be understood by anyone outside your borders? Or in a different province of your own country, in many cases?
You must all switch to <a href='http://www.esperanto-usa.org/' target='_blank'>Esperanto</a> immediately!!!
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Impirical system is the most archaic thing in the world. You and probably like only 5 other countries probably still use that system. Why is it nice? Because you don't understand metric? does it make you feel stupid not being able to comprehend it? maybe the EU is just smarter, oh yeah not including every other country in the world that has switched. Btw i live in britain and we are in the process of changing (education has used metric for some time. i'm not sure about US schools tho) can anyone clear that one up? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We can't comprehend metric system? Well, you smart europeans should be able to figure out the impirical system right? Why don't you convert? We Americans R dum.
I sincerely hope you were joking. If not, it proves how stupid you are for not understanding the issue. I know what a kg, mL, and a km are. But just like it would be difficult for you to have to convert kilometers to miles EVERY TIME YOU DO COMPTATIONS, likewise is true for people used to the imperical system to convert from miles to kilometers. Beyond that, if you still don't understand, how did you get this far in school?!
<!--QuoteBegin--MonsieurEvil+Sep 22 2003, 08:00 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MonsieurEvil @ Sep 22 2003, 08:00 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> This has already been discussed to death (by much more rational thinkers than this thread is supplying).
Tell you what, Edgecrusher. If the EU consolidates all of its archaic and inefficient languages into one, then we will go metric here in the States. Fair trade? Cool. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Ugh, MonsE's back...Run to the hills!
Anyways, everyone on this board knows english. Well, at least to some extent. Now does everyone know the metric system? I think that would be a fair trade for now <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Start learning!
Point being; in most, if not in every EU country children are being taught english. Hell, they started teaching me when I was on 3rd grade(8/9y old btw). So basically we are keeping our own languages and accepting one, common language in the same time. So if you seriously want to start comparing, USA should be teaching their children both imperial and metric system. And somehow I have the feeling that metric system is easier to learn than english, or any other language for that matter...'cept for monse that is <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
naa, just kidding <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Been missing you, where have you been? Coming back to pwn me in discussions soon? Is mrs. evil regulating your use of computer or something? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--MonsieurEvil+Sep 22 2003, 08:00 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MonsieurEvil @ Sep 22 2003, 08:00 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Tell you what, Edgecrusher. If the EU consolidates all of its archaic and inefficient languages into one, then we will go metric here in the States. Fair trade? Cool. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> The EU's official languages are English and French, and I'm pretty sure the only people keeping French there are the French.
a) just because your country decided that you should learn english, does not mean in "trade" americans should have to learn your method of measurements.
b) It is standard to teach the metric system in classes, at least overview it. Especially science classes. I remember going over it several times in middle school, high school, and college.
Now I'm being taught that a kilobyte isn't 1000, but really 1024. Hows that for confusing <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Here's a little story for you guys (and a true one too!)...
After the American revolution, when the United States were formed, the US naturally had to set a few ground rules: decide on the official language, unit system, etc. France proposed to the US to join the metric system, which they most happily agreed to do. So France sent a ship with all the whacky stuff they use to define what one kilogramme or meter is. And well, you guessed it, the ship sank.
As burncycle points out, all Americans are taught the metric system. And like most things you learn in school, you will find, they are soon forgotten when you reach the real world.
Josiah, I thought german was also an official EU language (according to Nemesis, as I recall). So Dread, do you speak fluent french, german, and english as well as Finnish (that's where you're from, if I recall)? Do you also speak all the other languages of Europe? What, you mean it's not necessary to speak the same language or use the same system of measurement in order to have successful commerce??? Unpossible!
And thanks for the welcome back, Dread. You're a good egg. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> And no, I doubt I'll be in the discussion forums, although I read them from time to time as a guest account...
<!--QuoteBegin--MonsieurEvil+Sep 22 2003, 07:59 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MonsieurEvil @ Sep 22 2003, 07:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Josiah, I thought german was also an official EU language (according to Nemesis, as I recall). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Bloody bureaucrats - it would appear that there are 14 "official" languages in the EU, but English, German, and French are the main three.
Eleven actually. Sounds like you better start cracking the books and making sure you are fluent in:
English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Dread is way ahead of you in the land of Nokia... <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
OMG HAVING DIFFERENT STANDARDS IS BAAAAADDDDDDD! ESPERANTO PWNS J000000000000!!!!
<!--QuoteBegin--MonsieurEvil+Sep 22 2003, 02:59 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MonsieurEvil @ Sep 22 2003, 02:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> So Dread, do you speak fluent french, german, and english as well as Finnish (that's where you're from, if I recall)? Do you also speak all the other languages of Europe? What, you mean it's not necessary to speak the same language or use the same system of measurement in order to have successful commerce??? Unpossible! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Ich bin ein englander und ich spechen deutch et francais vraiment merci beaucoup so <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> to you!
Tri-lingual sentance pwns j00!
England is slowly phasing in the metric system; I can think in metres and centimetres, but not in kilometers (and what the heck's an ounce??), my kids will probably be fluent in metric, provided I can get someone drunk enougth to have kids with me.
If you can't be bothered to switch to metres and centimetres, at LEAST switch to degrees in centigrade; 0 is freezing, 100 is boiling, 30 is pretty hot, and 3 is english summer time <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> (actually it's been about 28 this last week, go go english weather!)
According to the European Commission Euromosaic Report the main minority languages in current EU Member States are as follows: Germany Danish Frisian Austria Croatian Slovak Slovene Hungarian Czech Belgium German Denmark German Spain Aragonese Asturian Basque Berber Catalan Galician Occitan Portuguese Finland Saami Swedish France German Basque Breton Catalan Corsican Dutch Occitan Greece Albanian Bulgarian Macedonian Turkish Walachian Ireland Irish Italy Albanian German Catalan Croatian Slovene Franco-provençal Friulian Greek Ladin Occitan Sardinian Luxembourg Luxembourgian Netherlands Frisian Portugal Mirandese Sweden Finnish Saami UK Cornish Gaelic Welsh Irish
OMG why do you guys speak English instead of using Luxembourgian???!?!?!?!?! It's verb conjugation is so much less confusing!!!
Enough silly sarcasm. Are you all finally seeing my point? Using the metric doesn't solve any problems. Like a language, it just changes things to a different standard. The things being described by the language are still the same...
And unto thee all come the language of the Lord and all those who spoke it naught shall be victim to **** slapping, so has said Christ thy Lord and so shall it be.
<!--QuoteBegin--MonsieurEvil+Sep 22 2003, 10:35 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MonsieurEvil @ Sep 22 2003, 10:35 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Eleven actually. Sounds like you better start cracking the books and making sure you are fluent in:
English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Dread is way ahead of you in the land of Nokia... <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
OMG HAVING DIFFERENT STANDARDS IS BAAAAADDDDDDD! ESPERANTO PWNS J000000000000!!!! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Eeeeep!
Well, I'm fluent in Finnish, I speak English very well, German pretty well, I can handle Swedish and French some. So I'm getting there <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Now I just need to start studying esperanto <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
/ego boost
If you ask me, americans can keep their imperial if they want. We were just talking about a fair trade. And I think the thread started as in "metric owns imperial, so why not use it?". English seems to be the common language in the world currently, and even more so in 30 years. So I don't think there will be language problems and if USAmericans really learn the metric stuff, then good. Because I'm too lazy to start learning the imperial shizzle <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
According to the European Commission Euromosaic Report the main minority languages in current EU Member States are as follows: Germany Danish Frisian Austria Croatian Slovak Slovene Hungarian Czech Belgium German Denmark German Spain Aragonese Asturian Basque Berber Catalan Galician Occitan Portuguese Finland Saami Swedish France German Basque Breton Catalan Corsican Dutch Occitan Greece Albanian Bulgarian Macedonian Turkish Walachian Ireland Irish Italy Albanian German Catalan Croatian Slovene Franco-provençal Friulian Greek Ladin Occitan Sardinian Luxembourg Luxembourgian Netherlands Frisian Portugal Mirandese Sweden Finnish Saami UK Cornish Gaelic Welsh Irish
God help us. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> OMG I HAVE TO LEARN TEH WELSH!
I have honestly never heard of some of those languages... Friulian?? WTH is Friulian??
Yes MonsE I see your point but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to be a smart a***. Thats another thing, can you Americans start using a**e instead of a**? A** isn't even a swear word it's just another word for a donkey! Honestly....
<!--QuoteBegin--Nil_IQ+Sep 22 2003, 05:18 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Nil_IQ @ Sep 22 2003, 05:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Yes MonsE I see your point but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to be a smart a***. Thats another thing, can you Americans start using a**e instead of a**? A** isn't even a swear word it's just another word for a donkey! Honestly....
English is a mutt language full of idiomatic craziness. Not just American colloqial english dialects either - I challenge any Londoner to translate a Scottish fisherman's mushmouth jabber into something approaching understandable language. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
And you better hope they don't start teaching Basque in schools; from what I've heard, it's the single most complex weirdo language ever invented. Why anyone wants to hold onto their separatists I'll never know...
A language is totaly different from measuring systems. These things about meters, kilometers, liters, etc, all have one thing in common. It involves maths. It has to have numbers in it. And as everyone knows (or maybe not), maths is THE universal language, like it or not. Making everyone use the same type of measurements will lead to less confusion. And that way, we will achieve world pease!! <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I find it hugely amusing that you do not appear to speak english, based on that last post... <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
A spoken language is NOT totally different than a measurement system. A measurement system is in fact a language describing all sorts of things, and certainly not always math. A glass with water in it up to the 1/2 cup mark is not math. A system of describing mass is fundamentally analogous to a system of describing a tree. Both are forms of language. Metric and Imperial measurement are just part of the game, just as U.S., U.K., Japanese, Thai, Old Russian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Nautical, Typographical, Astronomical, Ancient Greek, Rankine, Kelvin, Reaumur, Avoirdupois, Troy, Apothecaries, Old German, Mercury, Atmosphere, Common Units, SI measurements are - ALL systems of measurement, and ALL have their place.
Should we get rid of the Parsec and instead teach kids about the 3.241e-14 KM? how about we get rid of the Pica and teach them to use the 4.233 MM?
You need to learn that just because you do things one way, does not make it the best way. There are lots of ways to do things with language or measurement, and none are fundamentally wrong. Just different.
I am not saying that the way I do it is the best way, or that one thing is wrong and the other is right. I think that certain things are better using the Imperical system, like inches. ( don't know why. I just prefer it. And the wierd part is, I don't like using miles, but km. I know... wierd). I'm just saying that for certain things, there should be something which should be the same for the whole world
Is just that, I think that countries like the US and Britain are just stuborn when talking about this (plz, I'm NOT criticizing anyone, or any culture). I'm not saying they are ignorant about this, I'm just saying they are stuborn. Almost the whole entire world uses the SI measurements. This was made so people would not get cofused when trying to measure things. So that, for example, when people write a scientific analysis, people from the whole world would be able to understand most of the topic, so that people wouldn't have to keep translating measurments and language, and probably do a complete confusion.
And measurements is always maths. Saying that a glass of water is 1/2 cup mark is maths. You use fractions, and you can see that it is separated in a way which maths could describe. It might not be used for maths, but maths is always present.
And I don't appear to speak English? Why? I mean, I can type things in English, understand English, speak English, read English. I even got a 38 for my GCSE English coursework (that's like, and A+, and according to me teacher, but don't know if he is telling me the truth <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> ).
By the way, I think this would be better at the Disscusion Forum. Could someone plz send it there?
Uhm.... comming to think about it..... this post might start to have a bit of flamming. Shouldn't have started it..... <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
moultanoCreator of ns_shiva.Join Date: 2002-12-14Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
The metric system is great for science, or anything theoretical, but I think American units fit the measurements we make normally a lot better.
For instance. The Farenheight scale covers all of the normal temperatures in the US within the 0 to 100 scale. If something ever goes above or below that, you know its really extreme (summer in texas, winter in wisconsin).
<!--QuoteBegin--P-Khan+Sep 22 2003, 08:44 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (P-Khan @ Sep 22 2003, 08:44 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> And measurements is always maths. Saying that a glass of water is 1/2 cup mark is maths. You use fractions, and you can see that it is separated in a way which maths could describe. It might not be used for maths, but maths is always present.
And I don't appear to speak English? Why?
By the way, I think this would be better at the Disscusion Forum. Could someone plz send it there? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Math may always be present, but it is by no means the most efficient way to describe everything - it's far too limited. I can describe a tree in a single paragraph. To use math to describe it would take millions of pages of computations. This is why the phrase 'math is the universal language' is a myth perpetrated by people that really like math. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> The only true universal language among humans is (arguably) body language, and that's a stretch unto itself. Hell, how can math be universal when there have been whole cultures that did not even have a representation for zero...
For the same reason, you simply cannot just say the metric system is automatically better than other systems. It is but one method, and is incredibly inefficient when applied to areas it was not designed for, or with systems that evolved long before metrics were commonly used. And when you boil it down, it is not really better than any other system, just different. Using base-10 does not make something 'better', if you understand a different system instinctively. The metric system has never put a man on the moon, for example - US/UK measurement systems did. Would using metric have been better? Not really, just different.
As for your english, it's just fine. It was a tongue in cheek joke that went over your head. Sorry, I meant no offense.
And this was already beaten to death in the discussion forum long ago. If it gets moved there it would immediately be locked as a repeat thread. So I'd advise not asking. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
If I ever take over the world, I will solve the language debate. Everyone starts over and learns latin, there, thats fair enough, and its a good language.
Comments
I.e. the people who weighed the cooked patties and complained that they didn't clock in at a quater-pound.
I mean, you have some basic units. Multiply by 1000 for each higher prefix (k, M, G, T, P). Divide by a thousand for each lower (m, u, n, p)
How many inches for a yard? how many yards for a mile? No idea, but I'm pretty sure it's not in 10's.
And what exactly is the point of the Fahrenheit system? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I can't agree more.
I mean, you have some basic units. Multiply by 1000 for each higher prefix (k, M, G, T, P). Divide by a thousand for each lower (m, u, n, p)
How many inches for a yard? how many yards for a mile? No idea, but I'm pretty sure it's not in 10's.
And what exactly is the point of the Fahrenheit system? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I can't agree more. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So, explain to me why all your languages have different conjugation rules again? And sentence structure? And spelling? And dialects? And meaning for the same sounds? And cannot be understood by anyone outside your borders? Or in a different province of your own country, in many cases?
You must all switch to <a href='http://www.esperanto-usa.org/' target='_blank'>Esperanto</a> immediately!!!
Or newspeak - its doubleplusgood.
We can't comprehend metric system? Well, you smart europeans should be able to figure out the impirical system right? Why don't you convert? We Americans R dum.
I sincerely hope you were joking. If not, it proves how stupid you are for not understanding the issue. I know what a kg, mL, and a km are. But just like it would be difficult for you to have to convert kilometers to miles EVERY TIME YOU DO COMPTATIONS, likewise is true for people used to the imperical system to convert from miles to kilometers. Beyond that, if you still don't understand, how did you get this far in school?!
Or newspeak - its doubleplusgood. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Damn skippy! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
"There have always been license plate cameras. We have always been at war with the euro-sians."
<!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Tell you what, Edgecrusher. If the EU consolidates all of its archaic and inefficient languages into one, then we will go metric here in the States. Fair trade? Cool. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ugh, MonsE's back...Run to the hills!
Anyways, everyone on this board knows english. Well, at least to some extent. Now does everyone know the metric system? I think that would be a fair trade for now <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Start learning!
Point being; in most, if not in every EU country children are being taught english. Hell, they started teaching me when I was on 3rd grade(8/9y old btw). So basically we are keeping our own languages and accepting one, common language in the same time. So if you seriously want to start comparing, USA should be teaching their children both imperial and metric system. And somehow I have the feeling that metric system is easier to learn than english, or any other language for that matter...'cept for monse that is <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
naa, just kidding <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Been missing you, where have you been? Coming back to pwn me in discussions soon? Is mrs. evil regulating your use of computer or something? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Tell you what, Edgecrusher. If the EU consolidates all of its archaic and inefficient languages into one, then we will go metric here in the States. Fair trade? Cool. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The EU's official languages are English and French, and I'm pretty sure the only people keeping French there are the French.
b) It is standard to teach the metric system in classes, at least overview it. Especially science classes. I remember going over it several times in middle school, high school, and college.
Now I'm being taught that a kilobyte isn't 1000, but really 1024. Hows that for confusing <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
After the American revolution, when the United States were formed, the US naturally had to set a few ground rules: decide on the official language, unit system, etc. France proposed to the US to join the metric system, which they most happily agreed to do. So France sent a ship with all the whacky stuff they use to define what one kilogramme or meter is. And well, you guessed it, the ship sank.
How's that for irony?
Josiah, I thought german was also an official EU language (according to Nemesis, as I recall). So Dread, do you speak fluent french, german, and english as well as Finnish (that's where you're from, if I recall)? Do you also speak all the other languages of Europe? What, you mean it's not necessary to speak the same language or use the same system of measurement in order to have successful commerce??? Unpossible!
<!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
And thanks for the welcome back, Dread. You're a good egg. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> And no, I doubt I'll be in the discussion forums, although I read them from time to time as a guest account...
Bloody bureaucrats - it would appear that there are 14 "official" languages in the EU, but English, German, and French are the main three.
English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Dread is way ahead of you in the land of Nokia... <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
OMG HAVING DIFFERENT STANDARDS IS BAAAAADDDDDDD! ESPERANTO PWNS J000000000000!!!!
Ich bin ein englander und ich spechen deutch et francais vraiment merci beaucoup so <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> to you!
Tri-lingual sentance pwns j00!
England is slowly phasing in the metric system; I can think in metres and centimetres, but not in kilometers (and what the heck's an ounce??), my kids will probably be fluent in metric, provided I can get someone drunk enougth to have kids with me.
If you can't be bothered to switch to metres and centimetres, at LEAST switch to degrees in centigrade; 0 is freezing, 100 is boiling, 30 is pretty hot, and 3 is english summer time <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> (actually it's been about 28 this last week, go go english weather!)
Wth is a far-ran-hy-et?
According to the European Commission Euromosaic Report the main minority languages in current EU Member States are as follows:
Germany Danish Frisian
Austria Croatian Slovak Slovene Hungarian Czech
Belgium German
Denmark German
Spain Aragonese Asturian Basque Berber Catalan Galician Occitan Portuguese
Finland Saami Swedish
France German Basque Breton Catalan Corsican Dutch Occitan
Greece Albanian Bulgarian Macedonian Turkish Walachian
Ireland Irish
Italy Albanian German Catalan Croatian Slovene Franco-provençal Friulian Greek Ladin Occitan Sardinian
Luxembourg Luxembourgian
Netherlands Frisian
Portugal Mirandese
Sweden Finnish Saami
UK Cornish Gaelic Welsh Irish
God help us.
I think this wouldn't be a bad standard language, I mean some folks would have you believe it's what we all spoke at one time : P
Enough silly sarcasm. Are you all finally seeing my point? Using the metric doesn't solve any problems. Like a language, it just changes things to a different standard. The things being described by the language are still the same...
Aramaic owns you : P
English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Dread is way ahead of you in the land of Nokia... <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
OMG HAVING DIFFERENT STANDARDS IS BAAAAADDDDDDD! ESPERANTO PWNS J000000000000!!!! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Eeeeep!
Well, I'm fluent in Finnish, I speak English very well, German pretty well, I can handle Swedish and French some. So I'm getting there <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Now I just need to start studying esperanto <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
/ego boost
If you ask me, americans can keep their imperial if they want. We were just talking about a fair trade. And I think the thread started as in "metric owns imperial, so why not use it?". English seems to be the common language in the world currently, and even more so in 30 years. So I don't think there will be language problems and if USAmericans really learn the metric stuff, then good. Because I'm too lazy to start learning the imperial shizzle <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
According to the European Commission Euromosaic Report the main minority languages in current EU Member States are as follows:
Germany Danish Frisian
Austria Croatian Slovak Slovene Hungarian Czech
Belgium German
Denmark German
Spain Aragonese Asturian Basque Berber Catalan Galician Occitan Portuguese
Finland Saami Swedish
France German Basque Breton Catalan Corsican Dutch Occitan
Greece Albanian Bulgarian Macedonian Turkish Walachian
Ireland Irish
Italy Albanian German Catalan Croatian Slovene Franco-provençal Friulian Greek Ladin Occitan Sardinian
Luxembourg Luxembourgian
Netherlands Frisian
Portugal Mirandese
Sweden Finnish Saami
UK Cornish Gaelic Welsh Irish
God help us. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
OMG I HAVE TO LEARN TEH WELSH!
I have honestly never heard of some of those languages... Friulian?? WTH is Friulian??
Yes MonsE I see your point but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to be a smart a***. Thats another thing, can you Americans start using a**e instead of a**? A** isn't even a swear word it's just another word for a donkey! Honestly....
(j/k)
(j/k) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
English is a mutt language full of idiomatic craziness. Not just American colloqial english dialects either - I challenge any Londoner to translate a Scottish fisherman's mushmouth jabber into something approaching understandable language. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
And you better hope they don't start teaching Basque in schools; from what I've heard, it's the single most complex weirdo language ever invented. Why anyone wants to hold onto their separatists I'll never know...
And as everyone knows (or maybe not), maths is THE universal language, like it or not. Making everyone use the same type of measurements will lead to less confusion. And that way, we will achieve world pease!! <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
A spoken language is NOT totally different than a measurement system. A measurement system is in fact a language describing all sorts of things, and certainly not always math. A glass with water in it up to the 1/2 cup mark is not math. A system of describing mass is fundamentally analogous to a system of describing a tree. Both are forms of language. Metric and Imperial measurement are just part of the game, just as U.S., U.K., Japanese, Thai, Old Russian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Nautical, Typographical, Astronomical, Ancient Greek, Rankine, Kelvin, Reaumur, Avoirdupois, Troy, Apothecaries, Old German, Mercury, Atmosphere, Common Units, SI measurements are - ALL systems of measurement, and ALL have their place.
Should we get rid of the Parsec and instead teach kids about the 3.241e-14 KM? how about we get rid of the Pica and teach them to use the 4.233 MM?
You need to learn that just because you do things one way, does not make it the best way. There are lots of ways to do things with language or measurement, and none are fundamentally wrong. Just different.
( don't know why. I just prefer it. And the wierd part is, I don't like using miles, but km. I know... wierd). I'm just saying that for certain things, there should be something which should be the same for the whole world
Is just that, I think that countries like the US and Britain are just stuborn when talking about this (plz, I'm NOT criticizing anyone, or any culture). I'm not saying they are ignorant about this, I'm just saying they are stuborn. Almost the whole entire world uses the SI measurements. This was made so people would not get cofused when trying to measure things. So that, for example, when people write a scientific analysis, people from the whole world would be able to understand most of the topic, so that people wouldn't have to keep translating measurments and language, and probably do a complete confusion.
And measurements is always maths. Saying that a glass of water is 1/2 cup mark is maths. You use fractions, and you can see that it is separated in a way which maths could describe. It might not be used for maths, but maths is always present.
And I don't appear to speak English? Why? I mean, I can type things in English, understand English, speak English, read English. I even got a 38 for my GCSE English coursework (that's like, and A+, and according to me teacher, but don't know if he is telling me the truth <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> ).
By the way, I think this would be better at the Disscusion Forum. Could someone plz send it there?
Shouldn't have started it..... <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
For instance. The Farenheight scale covers all of the normal temperatures in the US within the 0 to 100 scale. If something ever goes above or below that, you know its really extreme (summer in texas, winter in wisconsin).
And I don't appear to speak English? Why?
By the way, I think this would be better at the Disscusion Forum. Could someone plz send it there? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Math may always be present, but it is by no means the most efficient way to describe everything - it's far too limited. I can describe a tree in a single paragraph. To use math to describe it would take millions of pages of computations. This is why the phrase 'math is the universal language' is a myth perpetrated by people that really like math. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> The only true universal language among humans is (arguably) body language, and that's a stretch unto itself. Hell, how can math be universal when there have been whole cultures that did not even have a representation for zero...
For the same reason, you simply cannot just say the metric system is automatically better than other systems. It is but one method, and is incredibly inefficient when applied to areas it was not designed for, or with systems that evolved long before metrics were commonly used. And when you boil it down, it is not really better than any other system, just different. Using base-10 does not make something 'better', if you understand a different system instinctively. The metric system has never put a man on the moon, for example - US/UK measurement systems did. Would using metric have been better? Not really, just different.
As for your english, it's just fine. It was a tongue in cheek joke that went over your head. Sorry, I meant no offense.
And this was already beaten to death in the discussion forum long ago. If it gets moved there it would immediately be locked as a repeat thread. So I'd advise not asking. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->