Given the inclination to do something pro-metric and some time, which of the following would you chose?
- Write a post about the merits of one way of using metric measures vs another (cubic meters vs kiloliters for example)
- Write post to a bulletin board or mailing list that argues minor points of the pros or cons of metrication or whether a company is or is not in fact metric.
- Respond to a post that has little or no value towards improving metrication (e.g. either of the above)
- Do something that moves us closer to metrication
While the first three might seem interesting initially, they don't actually improve our chances of finishing metrication (and in some cases may create more resistance to metrication if the post is inflammatory). They certainly don't help us achieve our
vision and goals (although discussions about the trivia of metrication are useful for building community).
As an example, it doesn't really matter whether a company is completely metric or not (and if someone produces some proof that they're not, they aren't no matter how much you wish to believe otherwise and arguing about it is just a waste of time), what's important is whether they can be convinced to either complete metrication or take a firm stand in favor of it. Arguing about whether they're metric or not on a mailing list or web forum that they're not going to take any interest in let alone read is just pointless. If you want to actually get them to support metrication, you need to
contact them directly and let them know that consumers want metric.
What motivates business is profit. If they get inundated with requests for metric products, they'll see a demand for it in the market place and thus be more inclined to label things primarily metric and supply metric versions of products (it can sometimes be annoyingly difficult to get metric screws for items built outside the USA for example, but the screws are definitely available). Currently, many businesses see demand for metric only overseas and in the Spanish speaking population (just look at a multi-lingual labeled product, the Spanish is almost always in metric only) but not in the wider community. While the demand is certainly there, we're not making enough commotion about it to get above the background noise of customer requests.
Obviously, we also need to encourage our political sector to move towards metric (and get them to re-evaluate the old stereotype of "Americans find metric hard and don't want it"). Both government and business will influence the other so it's important to communicate effectively with both about our need as a country to finish metrication. Don't just ask them to go metric, demand they go metric (but do so politely).
