Kera foehunter:
well grndl we can help you guys will not join us !!
look you will not get fat if you drink 16 oz compare to 20 oz
see where help you with healthy choice
btw the metric system is use a lot here in the U. S.
by the local 13 union of the pot growers and sellers
lol
slev:
In my experience the USA doesn’t like international standards. Heaven forbid they drag themselves into the 20th century & use metric rather than imperial and switch over to A4 paper.
Just so we are clear though 1"=25.4mm.
Certain imperial measurements are ill-defined and lead to international differences, hence the adoption of the far more logical SI units and the associated metric system.
zorn sabretooth:
if you don’t like the metric system become Amish!
Although on second thoughts, that would be a little drastic…
BilboBaggins:
I use metric, when playing Battle Fleet Gothic. 
Plus metric is used in Photography, just check the size of lenses.
All packaging has both English and Metric measurements.
Sheets of paper should be 8.5 inches x 11 inches, you know the size because that is what it’s called. What exactly is A4? Index Cards come in 3x5, 4x6 or 5x7 inches. It would confuse the idiots if the cards were called 7.62x12.7, 10.16x15.24 and 12.7x17.78 cm.
cornixt:
Paper that is 8.5x11 is called “letter” sized. It has a definition, just like A4 does. You don’t need to know the exact size of paper anyway.
In europe, index cards might come in multiples of metric numbers, so rather than 7.62 they might be 7.5cm. Or they could just use small, medium and large…
BilboBaggins:
Since there is Letter sized (8.5x11) and Legal (8.5x14) why was there a need for A4 (8.2x11.5 approx)? Other than to drive people crazy and make them have to set up their printers differently.
cornixt:
From what I remember: A4 was around first, sometime in the 70s or 80s. Most of Europe adopted it then. In the late 80s it was decided by the US government to have a standard paper size, since there wasn’t one before then. 8.5x11 was a kind of compromise between the two most common sizes, and legal was for the more unusual and avoided having to use two pages. At around the same time, the US did make steps towards metric and then stopped bothering any effort towards promoting it to the public for some reason.
The UK took about 20 years to go metric (although road distances and pint measures are still allowed, but I can’t think of anything else) and it wasn’t exactly painful. If the US just abolished quarts then I’d be happy. it is a silly amount to me, more awkward than a pint but not big enough to be as useful as a gallon. What is it for, why is it still used?
BilboBaggins:
8 Ounces = Cup
2 Cups = Pint
2 Pints = Quart (Quarter of Gallon, makes sense that way)
4 Quarts = Gallon
I agree Metric is simpler but there are rednecks in this country would shoot before giving up their yardsticks.
I remember using 8.5x11 as copier/mimeograph paper in the mid 70’s in school.
Hobgoblyn:
Why do we measure in inches in Warhammer anyway?
The bases are by milimeters, the model heights are by centimeters… seems to me, it would make more sense for movement and range to be in centimeters instead of inches anyway.
BilboBaggins:
Why do we measure in inches in Warhammer anyway?Because us stupid Americans can't handle change to metric. :)
The bases are by milimeters, the model heights are by centimeters... seems to me, it would make more sense for movement and range to be in centimeters instead of inches anyway.
Hobgoblyn
slev:
WFB, 40K & LotR are in Imperial because that’s what wargames traditionally used.
A4 is explained here: A4 paper format / International standard paper sizes
Look half-way down for “History of the ISO Paper Formats”.
Basically, A-series is a standard, letter/legal are standardised.
two_heads_talking:
From what I remember: A4 was around first, sometime in the 70s or 80s. Most of Europe adopted it then. In the late 80s it was decided by the US government to have a standard paper size, since there wasn't one before then. 8.5x11 was a kind of compromise between the two most common sizes, and legal was for the more unusual and avoided having to use two pages.I've no idea where you go this info, but it is not correct. http://www.afandpa.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Pulp_and_Paper/Fun_Facts/The_U_S__Standard_Paper_Size.htm
cornixt
BilboBaggins:
I’m all for tradition then, I don’t feel like buying new tape measures, except cool colored ones at the dollar store.
It’s not just the US that firmly holds onto LETTER paper, Canada does to.
I understand the reasoning to have standards and the idea of all papers having the same aspect ratio is nice.
The easiest way to get the standard A4 accepted in the USA is to have the paper companies put it out at a lower cost and slowly discontinue the Letter and Legal sizes.
ISO those crazy people, I loved how they handled film speeds.
There used to be 2 standards for determineing how fast film is. ASA (American) and DIN (German). The differences were that ASA for every stop faster doubled the number (100 is one setting slower than 200) where DIN the change was by 3 (21 is one setting slower than 24). ISO decided instead of coming up with an entirely new system (which would be annoying) they combined the two. So ISO film speeds would be 100/21 200/24.
cornixt:
I researched it several years ago, so I guess I misremembered some of it. Looks like I wasn't too far off in that it was standardised to have a single size from two sizes in the 80s, and it was the larger of the two. If they'd made the switch to A4 back then, it wouldn't have been so painful as doing it now. I think they'll try to ride it out until people use paper much less and everything is done online.From what I remember: A4 was around first, sometime in the 70s or 80s. Most of Europe adopted it then. In the late 80s it was decided by the US government to have a standard paper size, since there wasn't one before then. 8.5x11 was a kind of compromise between the two most common sizes, and legal was for the more unusual and avoided having to use two pages.I've no idea where you go this info, but it is not correct. http://www.afandpa.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Pulp_and_Paper/Fun_Facts/The_U_S__Standard_Paper_Size.htm
cornixt
as you can see here, it all started in 1921.. I think in the 80's it was officially announced as standard by Reagan.. but it was in wide use since the 20's..
two_heads_talking
Bassman:
Wow, I started with a simple question and, after 4 days in the desert I found such a long thread! Nice debate. I love differences in the world so I do not complain with so many different units of measurement as long as there are international standards.
I actually like to play Warhammer in inchs. A few years ago me and my gamegroup tried to play in centimeters but this was really annoying. It’s so easy to play in inchs, so I do not see the point in switching to metric.
At least I’ve learned something I’d never learnt without Warhammer, how much is an inch :hat It’s easier for me to guess how much are 10" than 10 cms ahahaha
Also it is easier to guess how much is a pint than 50 cl :cheers
snowblizz:
I'm all for tradition then, I don't feel like buying new tape measures, except cool colored ones at the dollar store.Don't worry, with the US paper industry going the same way the auto industry you'll be buying European A4 within 10 years. Provided there *is* an European paper industry that hasn't moved to Africa (since China became to expensive). But you'd still get A4s.
It's not just the US that firmly holds onto LETTER paper, Canada does to.
I understand the reasoning to have standards and the idea of all papers having the same aspect ratio is nice.
The easiest way to get the standard A4 accepted in the USA is to have the paper companies put it out at a lower cost and slowly discontinue the Letter and Legal sizes.
ISO those crazy people, I loved how they handled film speeds.
BilboBaggins
Swissdictator:
an old man in monk’s robes comes walking up
Then there was the Great Burn 5,000 years ago. A nuclear war exchanged over the proper paper size for the international system, and something about business collapses and some such. In our attempts to recover pre-burn technology we’ve discovered the Printer Cartridge, but we seem to have no idea how to construct a printer yet. I ask the Abbey to arrange for one to be found next month, but do be careful about the container it is discovered in. On a related note, the discovery of a tape measure in some old store marked “Games Workshop” as resulted in a new debate on measurement systems…
For those who don’t get the reference check out Babylon 5’s “Deconstructing Falling Starts” or the book “A Canticle for Lebowitz”
I just want some sort of universal system for much of these things.
Kera foehunter:
You sure that was not a drunken homeless guy swiss???
Swissdictator:
Platteville has college students, not homeless people. 
We’re worse.
Tarrakk Blackhand:
I think the reason why Canada has BOTH Metric and Imperial measurements is that we still deal with the USA and Mexico as trade partners. Item measurements are set by the manufacturers and who’s import is on the table at the time.
For example, most clothing is still sold in Feet and Yards, yet Gasoline is sold by the Litre. (We got screwed on that back in 1972 when we went from $0.25 per Gallon to $0.25 per Litre. ThanX Mr. Tredeau!)
Personally, I preferr to use Metric when measuring small things, like Chaos Dwarfs because the math is simpler than trying to build model houses in Imperial and remebering how 13/16th is divided out when you’re trying to divide it in angles and doorways, etc, etc. However, for measuring longer distances, Imperial is king.
It still sounds awesome when you say “My car can go 120 MPH!” instead of “200 KPH”. Speed and Metric just sound so wussy!