What exactly is "exact" (was Clean Singleton Docstrings)

[Marko Rauhamaa]

Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly at gmail.com>:

> Ah, the machinations that users of imperial units have to endure.

Europeans often mistakenly believe that Americans haven't yet adopted
the SI units. They have:

 - the length of a ski is measured in centimeters

 - the width of film and the diameter of a gun barrel are measured in
   millimeters

 - the wavelength of visible light is measured in nanometers

 - the volume of a soda bottle is measured in liters

 - a quantity of confiscated narcotics is measured in kilograms

 - daily allowance of a vitamin is measured in milligrams

 - the pitch of a note is measured in hertz

 - a short timespan is measured in seconds


So the problem Europeans have with the situation is *not* the lack of
adoption of new units. Rather, it is the refusal of giving up the
traditional units.

The Anglo-American culture is notorious for its eagerness to absorb
foreign influences. What it abhors is reductionism. There is always room
for more words, ideas, mores, inventions, but nothing is ever deprecated
with a simple edict.


Marko