Re: Different Formats for Different Countries -- Variable Density B&W Film

In message <45463d04$0$13806$822641b3@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, David 
Nebenzahl <nobody@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes
>Chris Hills spake thus:
>
>> In message <45451005$0$13804$822641b3@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, 
>>David  Nebenzahl <nobody@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes
>>
>>> Jean-David Beyer spake thus:
>>>
>>>> Now ordinary printing paper, in USA, came from the size of the frame
>>>> commonly used for making paper by hand that turned out 17 by 22 
>>>>inch  sheets
>>>> after the deckle edge was trimmed off. This was about the largest 
>>>>they could
>>>> make sheets for a long time. These where cut in half both ways 
>>>>making  8½ by
>>>> 11 sheets as standard for printing (and later, typewriting).
>>>
>>> OK, so where did that Yurpeen standard, A4, come from?
>>  A4 is NOT European  It is International and is used EVERYWHERE 
>>except  the USA.
>>  see http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/iso-paper.html
>>  Some points from the link:
>>  "The United States, Canada, and in part Mexico, are today the only 
>>industrialized nations in which the ISO standard paper sizes are not 
>>yet widely used."
>>  "If you live in the U.S. and have never been abroad, you might not 
>>be aware that paper and accessories in the North-American sizes are 
>>not commonly available outside the U.S. or Canada. They are very 
>>difficult to obtain in any other country"
>>  Interestingly:-
>> "Although it is rarely advertised, ISO A4 laser printer and copying 
>>paper, as well as suitable files and folders, are available today from 
>>many U.S. office supply companies. A4 paper and supplies are regularly 
>>ordered in the U.S. today, especially by companies and organizations 
>>with a lot of international correspondence, including patent lawyers, 
>>diplomats, universities, and some government agencies. It seems that 
>>in  the U.S., at the moment, only higher-quality paper brands are 
>>easily  available in A4, i.e. the types of paper preferred for 
>>im****tant  do***ents, such as international patent applications. Many 
>>of the larger  stationery chains do offer at least one type of A4 
>>paper in their  catalogues, but not all shops keep it on stock 
>>routinely and might have  to order it first."
>>  So eventually the US might start using standard paper sizes that fit 
>>in with the rest of the world.
>
>And why, pray tell, would I want to do that? Just as I may ask why we 
>(the U.S., and even, for that matter, parts of the UK)

The UK has been metric for some time. In fact you will be hard pressed 
to find anyone under the age of 35 who even knows what the non-metric 
systems are.

>should abandon our venerable measurement system

Venerable.... How old is the US? There is nothing Venerable it the USA.

>in favor of the metric system? (Don't know if you're aware of it, but 
>there's *trememdous* oppostion to metrificiation both here in the U.S. 
>and abroad.)

There is tremendous opposition in the US but I have not seen any 
opposition in industry or commerce anywhere else in the world. Where it 
is it is from people over 50 who want to use the old systems in the 
markets.

>Why should I embrace a system that's

Universally used in the rest of the world?

>No thanks. I'll stick to *my* "letter" and "legal" and "tabloid" sizes 
>any day. Which is what appears to be the case for the forseeable future 
>here, despite the urgent wishes of the Internationalizers and the 
>Yurpeenizers.

The don't expect to be part of the rest of the world.

-- 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
\/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills  Staffs  England     /\/\/\/\/
/\/\/ chris@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
      www.phaedsys.org \/\/\
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