Imperial or Metric

Same here, nag. Using my grandmother's imperial weights for my grandmother's recipes does not mean I'm yearning for ounces. It means I'm adaptable and can use those as well as my metric weights — on the same balance scales too. How versatile is that ?

Changes do not have to be abrupt to be effective. The imperial system does not apply in science or technology because those need universal units in today's world. Domestic matters can use any units they like without it mattering one jot.

Currently in Thailand the year is 2555. It's also 2012. Everyone copes.

I'm not yearning for ounces, personally - I'm quite happy with things the way they are. If it ain't broke, why fix it? Think of all the reams of paperwork and legislation which would have to be changed if we went fully metric! I think the powers-that-be have far greater problems to deal with at the moment than this hoary old issue.

I think metrication not a baby, but a horse, long bolted. Our generation can either sulk, and possibly confuse our grandchildren, or keep up. When shops have been selling things in grams for decades, for instance, what is the point in yearning for ounces?
Technology is a choice up to a point - but some things are now difficult to accomplish if you do not at least embrace the internet - as we all do on this forum!
Well done butternut

Butty you would laugh if you saw me with my high-tech gadgets - I can't work them or only use bits of them - everything I acquire seems to have much more potential than I can get out of them. The high-techness in the kitchen is just my lovely cooker, mixer, blender, but an old-fashioned farmhouse kitchen where the famil can congregate and do things together. The iPad and Iphone were bought with daughters' encouragement - 'go on, mum, you'll soon learn how to use them and we can Skype each other!' Ha!!

I would love to be able to scan, crop and tweek - might need tuition, though

For instance........I've just been going through some old photos (pre-digital) to find some pics. of my son during his dreadlock phase (request from best man).
They will be scanned, uploaded, tweeked and cropped appropriately, emailed to other son, who will add his lot, then sent off - all in an evening. Amazing!

when - I think you live a high-tech life. . What could be higher tech than iPad and iPhones, instant photo transfer, instant communication, digital cameras. It is incredible how high-tech 'ordinary' life is these days......

While we are busily throwing out the old bathwater, we are not dumbing down if we prefer to rescue a few babies out of it.

We can embrace what we choose, and don't have to keep up with everything. I love Twitter and Facebook, my new iPad and iPhone, and all because they enhance communication, I can chat casually with people when I want, and I get to see photos of my grandchildren and the rest of my family within minutes of them being taken and uploaded.. Some new things don't enhance my life, so I don't go to as much trouble to learn them. Some old-fashioned gadgets and ways of looking at life are preferable for me, and I have the best of both worlds most of the time.

I live a relatively low-tech life except for kitchen and communication gadgets.

I now wish I had listened more when my grandparents and great-aunts used to talk about 'in my day.' I would find what they had to say fascinating now.

Yup, me too.
I think that is a bit harsh Charlotta. I like Facebook (used appropriately) and Twitter, but I don't expect everyone of my generation to feel the same.

What? I'm saying that already....

I adjusted to metric just as I adjusted to the new money. Growing old is about keeping up with the world and its advances whether we like it or not.
That the population cannot change over 10 or 20 years to another system is another case of dumming down. The country should expect it, do it and then all would have learned it.
Next they will be saying to whoever of the younger generation who is prepared to listen, 'In my day..........'

Just hearsay then jura.

Bags - you've been led to believe, lol. The idea of Swiss people blindly following rules does not apply to Romandie or Ticino (French and Italian parts of Switzerland), thank goodness.

I don't think it is taking us any longer to adapt than any other nation. Most just started earlier and so have finished the transition stage. Some nations (like Switzerland perhaps) are more, shall we say, 'open' to new rules because being obedient to rules is more a part of their culture — or so we are led to believe. I expect that makes a difference too.

Where it matters, e.g. in science, we have adapted, with no problems. Where we are still hanging on to old things out of nostalgia (or cussedness; who cares?!) it doesn't matter — obviously! or we wouldn't do it!

The human brain is quite large and can cope with oddities.

It is really interesting granjura that it has taken us so long to adapt. Even though these things were not learned individually until we were maybe 7 or 8.
There are not too many problems with this long transition - it must be confusing for little ins trying to learn metric though. we would do our grandchildren a favour if we made the leap. When you think of all the hard things they have to get their head round. Telling the time for instance. My GD is 7 and verbally very bright, great reader etc but in maths she is currently at expected level and it reminds me how tricky it is to understand.
Standardising helps adults I think in situations where they are trying to be a bit scientific e.g. reading food labels for nutritional content.
absent - yes of course - the US have their own variants on the theme of imperial which as the name implies was the british standard.
Bernard Shaw used to campaign for spelling to be rationalised in order to make it easier for children to learn to read and write. Pity he did not succeed so we think?

That doesn't surprise me at all, mamie, and it's nice to hear it . I think it's quite sweet that people take time to adjust to new things.

And my youngest daughter needs to know what an inch is just so she can understand funny old fogeys like me (it's called history), not to mention her American cousins.

Quite a lot of the elderly French round here still think in francs and sometimes in old francs!

Maybe we're only resisting because it was a French idea (or people think it was) .

But, actually, as a nation we're not resisting. Money is metric and has been for a long time. We hang onto the British pint for milk and beer for nostalgic reasons. Nothing wrong with that. Doesn't harm anyone. We can, and do, measure distances in kilometres. Cars have miles per kilometre gauges as well as mph and petrol is sold by the litre.

Yes, there are a few idiosyncracies. That's what being British is about. We'll do it our way (sing that bit ).

It's nice that we amuse other nationalities so much. Wouldn't have it otherwise.

Was it 1795ish that the metric sysyem was introduced in France? The Treaty of the Metre wasn't signed until 1870. We're catching up, granjura

114 years - thanks Flump I didn't know that, very interesting. So what's that- 5 generations now. Resist, resist - lol.

hello, *flump that is fascinating! Thank you.

18 pence is 1 and 6d, 20 pence is 2s, 40 pence is 3s and 4p.....give me a decimal point any day!

I have a small book entitled 'Wightman's Arithmetical Tables' published sometime in the fifties. It is packed with interesting information on a whole range of weights and measures and on one page states that a Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed 13th February 1895 recommended changes in the system of Weights and Measures as follows:-
(a) The metrical system should be at once legalised for all purposes,
(b) After a lapse of two years it should be rendered compulsory,
(c) It should be taught in all public elementary schools as a necessary and integral part of Arithmetic and that decimals be introduced at an earlier period than was the case at present.

On the 6th August 1897, the first of these recommendations was passed. It was made lawful for use in trade, although the Imperial System remained legal. An Order of Council, 19th May 1898, approved the metre, kilogram and litre and gave explanations as to how they were represented.

Don't know about you, but I didn't realise it had been discussed that long ago.

I wonder how long it took France to change when Napoleon made it official. Does anyone know?

Couple of generations, maybe?

I'm glad we've managed to resist for so long - and I hope we continue to do so for many more years!

Bags 'bothered' is NOT the word I would use. Perhaps 'baffled and amused' - as said, I am surprised it's so far taken 40 years, and now some more .