Metric system dumbs us down.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

We're the ones who understand the hard to understand Imperial System so, no, we're not confused by the easily understood metric system.

You're the ones that have outsourced the production of most of what you consume to other countries...

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

And I'll wager that even on Swiss and French computers the line heights in "word processors" are given in points. I'd hate to have to compose a newspaper page using only the "metric" system. Prolly not even doable - it would certainly drive you bananas!

Actually the heights are given in whatever you set the word processor to use. I always set it to using mm, as I have no idea what a "point" or a "pica" is. Why would I need to use a different unit, when I have on that is suitable for everything?

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I surrender - you're absolutely correct re the ruler. But since you mention it - have you ever looked at a french keyboard? The letters are all in different places

Most keyboards using western letters adhere to the QWERTY type layout or as close to it as possible. Danish, for example has 3 letters not found in english and they have to be on the keyboard - but basically a Danish keyboard is QWERTY type. QWERTY incidentally was invented back at the start of the typewriter age in order to slow typists down. An accomplished typist could type so fast that the mechanical arms couldn't keep up - so the lettters wer moved around to slow things down.

Except for all those countries that use the QWERTZ layout :-)

I have keyboard with 5 different layouts at home. For a long time I used a Swiss-German one, as that is very usefull if you communicate a lot in different languages. But at my current job almost all my writing is now back to English, and for programming the bog standard US keyboard is best.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by StuM

Heck, the text you are reading right now in your browser is defined in points as well.

Not in this case. vBulletin's stylesheets all use px.

Using points (pt) is permitted, but not recommended for web pages. Neither is using px.

The recommended unit to use for on line publishing is the "em", or even better the "rem", which is basically the height of the base font. That way when a viewer increases the font size everything still aligns.

But you can also use mm, cm, and even inches...

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Dang, I hate it when that happens!

Sorry about the missing decimal point, and even sorrier that i've not solved the energy crisis. However, I do take credit for helping resolve the oil glut on our recent Bass Strait crossing.

Jim

Having burned all our diesel last fall crossing the atlantic I can relate to this.

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by K_V_B

You're the ones that have outsourced the production of most of what you consume to other countries...

Stop working so cheaply.

[mrm]

Originally Posted by K_V_B

The recommended unit to use for on line publishing is the "em", or even better the "rem", which is basically the height of the base font. That way when a viewer increases the font size everything still aligns.

That is quite a departure from classical typesetting, where 'em' is the width of letter 'm' in current font, while 'ex' is the height of the letter 'x' in the current font and it is the 'ex' which is used to specify distance between lines of text in a paragraph.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional typesetter but, having set quite a number of books in LaTeX, I have at least a basic understanding of those two units of measurement

[TrentePieds]

Blimey! We're off again - RIGHT off :-0)!

TP

[mrm]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Blimey! We're off again - RIGHT off :-0)!

TP

You are suggesting we should just \relax ?

[TrentePieds]

We started off with a joke about cultural differences of no particular import. These 430 posts later, posts about a triviality, I think the thread has transmogrified into a joke about fanatiscism.

Pax vobiscum!

TP

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by Wotname

AFAIK, the only whits are either a full whit or a half whit. The formere are rare, the later are common. There are no double whits or centiwhits or mega whits etc.

Really? There are also Whitney's. A Whitney has a role in calculation and measurement of altitude. Mostly used in California, but at times throughout the contiguous United States, as a standard against which the heights of other mountains are compared. The exact definition has upset Coloradoians for many, many years, and Alsakans simply look down upon its significance. Hawaiians, know they are the ideal world class standard, although the reason is obscured for most who do not read back issues of National Geographic. The locals rarely discuss it because it can become volcanic quickly, and someone could blow their top. They have been known to use it to get a rise out of sailors from Nepal, and even Bhutan. They are others as well, such as the Whittier, but that discussion is for another day.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by mrm

You are suggesting we should just \relax ?

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

We started off with a joke about cultural differences of no particular import. These 430 posts later, posts about a triviality, I think the thread has transmogrified into a joke about fanatiscism.

Pax vobiscum!

TP

At least we are having fun rather than fighting with swords, guns, and Molotov cocktails about monos, cats' and angels dancing on the head of a pin. What joke? And since I do not speak or read Latin, are you calling us peaceful, vocal, scum? [Not to worry, I looked it up long, long ago after attending a Mass with a friend, and wondering about several things, such as ... but that is another story]

[TrentePieds]

Last time I attended mass was in the west of Oireland. Years ago. Couple of young fellows arrived rather late and stood in the porch. One had the temerity to call out: "Father? Fatherrr - D'ye save naughty girls?". The startled priest: "Of course I do m'son!" On of the lads: "Great! Save us a couple frafter mass!"

TP

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Last time I attended mass was in the west of Oireland. Years ago. Couple of young fellows arrived rather late and stood in the porch. One had the temerity to call out: "Father? Fatherrr - D'ye save naughty girls?". The startled priest: "Of course I do m'son!" On of the lads: "Great! Save us a couple frafter mass!"

TP

[StuM]

Originally Posted by K_V_B

Not in this case. vBulletin's stylesheets all use px.

Wanna bet?