Using standardized SI prefixes

[Felipe Sateler]

Christof Krüger wrote:

> Let me give you an example from the real world:
> There was a bridge to build over the river Rhine connecting Switzerland
> and Germany. You have to know that sea levels are defined differently in
> both countries so if you plan to build a bridge you have to take it into
> account. Well, the engineers tried to, but they've substracted instead
> of adding (or vice versa) and so they had to lower the road 54cm on the
> other side to match the bridge. Read here:
> http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/thieme/archives/005928.html
> This would not have happened if they had the same reference point for
> the sea level. I'm convinced that in the fast-paced computer world such
> a unification should be possible.

I fail to see the relationship between "different reference points"
and "screwing the calculation". In this case there was no ambiguity,
engineers knew exactly what to do, but screwed up. Its like saying someone
screwed up converting from Calories to Joules. That doesn't mean Calories
should be eradicated (or viceversa), it just means the person wasn't
careful enough.


-- 

  Felipe Sateler