How far along are the rules?

[Nobody]

10 m is barely 30 feet.

I must have overlooked the 100, and thought it was "per feet".

On similar grounds as Nobody, I'm against measurements in metrics. 100 feet/33 meters is pretty close to a compromise in that regard.

10 m are ~33 (32.8084) feet so that is just as good.

Really? What are your grounds? I'm against imperials, because:
- unscientific
- they are outdated
- strange relations in between them (e.g. 12"=1 feet)
- only a few countries in the world still use them
- you can always express your imperial figures in metrics without error with a limited number of digits, but not the other way around
- the definition of a inch is uncertain. Do you mean UK inches? From which year? Or the US survey inch? Or the inch which is defined in metrics?

[Korpen]

I am fine with inches, as long as we remember to use the period-appropriate measurements for them.

So if you are playing say Russia then 10 inches = 44,1cm.

[Tanthalas]

I had a rant here about things I wont mention because none of them were very nice.  Lets just leave it at im against any system based on the Metric system because for an american its a pain in the ass, and I was already forced into a tactical withdrawal on the ships I wanted to build to make the rest of you comfortable.

[Korpen]

I had a rant here about things I wont mention because none of them were very nice.  Lets just leave it at im against any system based on the Metric system because for an american its a pain in the ass, and I was already forced into a tactical withdrawal on the ships I wanted to build to make the rest of you comfortable.

That is an oxymoron, as the common measurement system in the USA is based on the meter...

[Tanthalas]

I had a rant here about things I wont mention because none of them were very nice.  Lets just leave it at im against any system based on the Metric system because for an american its a pain in the ass, and I was already forced into a tactical withdrawal on the ships I wanted to build to make the rest of you comfortable.

That is an oxymoron, as the common measurement system in the USA is based on the meter...

no the Official system is the Metric system.  However go out and buy well uhm anything and it will be mesured SAE generaly (unless Marketed to the government in which case it has to be metric) and you dont even want me to start in on working on a car, since its likley to have both SAE and Metric nuts and bolts.  We mesure our Height in feet and Inches, Distance in Miles, Fuel in Gallons, Weight in Pounds and Ounces, buy a set of micrometers and it will mesure in fractions of an inch (granted realy little fractions but still fractions).  The list goes on and on, literaly the only group that regularaly uses the metric system in the US is the goverment (even when its for stupid things like naming amunition 7.62 and 5.56 (308 winchester and 223 remington) which were Common US rounds before adoption as military carts. 

And yes im Ranting, im still not happy about having my hand forced on ships to make everyone else comfortable, not to mention its 2 in the morning and I cant sleep because my damn leg hurts.

[Valles]

As an American science geek, I'm comfortable with either.

Also, there's a good chance of my giving into the urge to base my designs off of the traditional Japanese measurement system, which doesn't line up with either, so it's really a matter of complete indifference to me.

[Guinness]

We're planning to have fully customizable slips and drydocks. Whether you measure them in feet, meters or furlongs, it won't make a difference. Ctwaterman, Miketr, P3D and I are all as ready as you are to see ships of various sizes instead of everything being 120m long.

[Walter]

Guess we, the metric ones, need to perform exorcism on those imperial dudes so they, too, become metric lovers. ;D

It may be a pain in the ass for imperialists, but the metric system is briliant due to its simplicity. It is not just a matter of 1 kilometer = 1000 meters or 1 kilogram = 1000 grams, but also stuff like 1 Watt = 1 J/s, 1 Joule = 1N*m, 1 Newton = 1kg*m/s^2, etc. when working with the SI Units. :)

[Kaiser Kirk]

Korpen- as I think your ... signifies, while the US is officially metric, it's not used outside the hallowed halls of govt and science- and not always there.  The official California regs for my industry are in feet because thats what the folks on the ground use.

Remember -
66 feet to the chain,
80 chains to the mile
640 acres to the sq. mile.

and diameter^2 * 0.005454 = sq. feet.
:)

12 is actually a nice number to physically work with - you can divide by 2, 3, 4, or 6, rather than the 2, 5 of metric.

However, there is a nice conversion tool here to make metric simpler for us Imperials:
http://wscope.com/convert.htm

[Sachmle]

As an American I've used the Standard system my whole life, and very rarely used metric. However, since taking over DKB I've gone exclusively metric and now find it hard to design ships in SAE. It's weird.

[Walter]

Remember -
66 feet to the chain,
80 chains to the mile
...
12 is actually a nice number to physically work with - you can divide by 2, 3, 4, or 6, rather than the 2, 5 of metric.

Imperial would have made a lot more sense when 12 inches = 1 foot, 12 feet = 1 yard, 12 yard = 1 chain, 12 chains = 1 mile... or something along that line. :)

Also the counting in a lot of countries is based on a system of 'twelve' (i.e. next number in line is 'thirteen').

[Carthaginian]

Well, If ya'll mandate the use of Metric Drydocks, then my ships will be designed to the nearest even measurement in feet and inches which can conveniently fit within said drydock.

I am WELL aware that a meter is 3.28 feet, and completely able to use metric units- as a nurse and soldier, I can convert with ease for both and even THINK in both- but quite frankly, I just don't care for the system and refuse to use it. Metric is a rigid and unflexible system, and ofter requires mixed unit or decimal measurements... and I despise using those in anything not measured by a syringe. SAE, on the other hand, uses only one common 'mixed unit' measure- feet & inches. Other than that, you just say what you mean: a HALF mile track, a EIGHTH acre garden, a HALF pint of whiskey. It's a lot easier than bouncing back and forth between 3 major units as far as visualizing, and it cuts down on confusion because of a mistake in units due to conversion*, mislabeling in units, or even a damnable illegible/misplaced decimal point.

Not that converting isn't easier (it is) but it must be done more often.

[Nobody]

Don't misunderstand, I don't want to force anyone to use the metric system.

...Metric is a rigid and unflexible system, and ofter requires mixed unit or decimal measurements...

I don't understand. How is metric unflexible? And what do you mean by the rest? Maybe you can give me an example, so I can follow you argumentation.

SAE, on the other hand, uses only one common 'mixed unit' measure- feet & inches. Other than that, you just say what you mean: a HALF mile track, a EIGHTH acre garden, a HALF pint of whiskey. It's a lot easier than bouncing back and forth between 3 major units as far as visualizing, and it cuts down on confusion because of a mistake in units due to conversion*, mislabeling in units, or even a damnable illegible/misplaced decimal point.

Not that converting isn't easier (it is) but it must be done more often.

I don't understand what you mean. I do say half a kilometer as well, whats your point? Bouncing between tree major units? Example please, if possible both metric and "SAE"(?, what does that mean anyway?) to see the difference.
An unreadable decimal point/comma will alway be a problem no matter which unit you use. That might be the reason why scientific writing was invented, where you always have exactly one digit before the decimal point (not that anyone uses that in daily life).

[Tanthalas]

im not a nurse, so I realy cant comment on what Carth is talking about.  However SAE stands for Standard American & European (among alot of other things having to do with cars) it realy should be called American mesure anymore as I belive the metric system is standard for all of europe now, but it wasnt when mesure was "standardised"

[Walter]

If I am not mistaken, the majority of American nations and European nations use metric, so that would mean that right now "Standard American & European" = Metric. :D

An unreadable decimal point/comma will alway be a problem no matter which unit you use.

But how do you read the unreadable? It varies what you are taught (depending on the region you're from). Do you read 1,000 as one thousand or do you read it as 1 with three decimals? I have been taught to use a comma for decimals and points in anything larger than 1000, but having in the recent past looked at it closely with a lot of logic, I realized that what I was taught was wrong and have been using it the other way around ever since.