• Victor@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    Just try adding 1/3 and 5/8.

    Cherry-picking fractions with prime numbers. 👍 Obviously no harder than using a readily available calculator just like any engineer would with the metric system. That’s fine too. You’d end up with a decimal answer, so then the benefit is lost, just as with fractions of cm.

    In my field

    Yup, say no more. I’m not saying inches are universally better. Only in certain situations.

    • EddoWagt@feddit.nl
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      4 hours ago

      I don’t see how cherry picking is an issue when that issue literally can’t happen when you’re working with fractions, I also don’t think those sizes are particularly uncommon?

      • Victor@lemmy.world
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        53 minutes ago

        I don’t see how cherry picking is an issue

        Cherry-picking is an issue when you’re trying to make an argument because you’re choosing a very complicated case on purpose when the more common cases are less complicated. That’s gotta be a straw man argument or something similar? I dunno.

        literally can’t happen when you’re working with fractions

        Did you mean to say something other than fractions here? If not, I’m confused.

        don’t think those sizes are particularly uncommon?

        It depends if you are making your own shit or not. You can always decide on other sizes, I guess? But no, they’re not uncommon. But combined, maybe not as common as other combinations? Either way, like I said, the easier cases still make the case for a slightly larger base like the inch. The other cases you can just use cm/mm or a calculator if it’s too much.

        Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with the imperial system itself. It’s only the fact that the inch is a more comfortable size. You could easily just use a base of 2 cm or something and use fractions of that. But common measuring devices rarely mark even fractions of cm. That’s the only issue.