Re: tlug: djb [was: ibm.net with LINUX (Red Hat)]

[Jonathan Byrne <jq@example.com>]

Karl-Max wrote

> >     Karl-Max> need won't go away. Just switching becomes more
> >     Karl-Max> expensive every day. An often overlooked fact.
> > 
> > Arrogance incarnate.  It is rarely overlooked.
> 
> Do you think ? Apparently the US made that mistake and thus are
> stuck with the mess of imperial measures because they failed to
> switch to the metric system. With disastrous consequences. Just

This tends more to support the point that the cost of switching is rarely
overlooked, actually.  The failure to adopt the metric system wasn't because
anyone was overlooking anything.  Indeed, the government and a large U.S.
corporations were pushing for it hard in the 1970s.  But most Americans took
the attitude that they didn't care if it was more expensive, they just didn't
want to switch.  and so, at the close of the 20th century, there is still not
much metric stuff in the U.S.

> look at an US wrench set and a metric wrench set. The US box is
> three times as big and three times as expensive. This applies

Actually, what makes it bigger is having to have all those metric tools in
there, as well :-)  Ditto for the cost :-)  Seriously, though, in the United
States, metric and non-metric tools are the same price, so the extra cost does
indeed come only from needing extra tools and a larger box, but the unit price
is the same. Because of some of the odd sizes needed, I won't argue that a
U.S. tool set isn't bigger, but it isn't three times bigger [1].

Cheers,

Jonathan

[1]  My brother and my father were both professional mechanics before going
into the computer field instead, and I'm a halfway decent amateur one (don't
like it anymore,though), so I have some acquaintance with the size of a
professional tool box and what it contains.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Next Nomikai: 18 September, 19:30 Tengu TokyoEkiMae 03-3275-3691
Next Meeting: 10 October, Tokyo Station Yaesu central gate 12:30
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor: PHT, makers of TurboLinux http://www.pht.co.jp