A rod or a chain are even more arbitrary
by fontoknow (2022-11-28 17:39:37)

In reply to: Not in any functional sense  posted by ndtnguy

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A pints a pound the world around is no more meaningful tan a milliliter of water equals a gram.
Memorizing conversions it's time better spent on basic computation, or reading or even doodling.

Not at all
by ndtnguy  (2022-11-28 19:07:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Rods and chains weren't arbitrary, they were derived from actual tools used by surveyors to measure property. They were the opposite of arbitrary; they were organic.

What they were was cumbersome, which was a different, though real, problem.
Rods had different lengths in different locales
by fontoknow  (2022-11-28 19:36:31)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Those lengths were the very definition of arbitrary.
A foot did as well.
by daviehamsufferer97  (2022-11-29 10:34:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

The French Imperial system's foot was actually 1.066 ft. long.
Better for stomping grapes. *
by Bacchus  (2022-11-30 10:47:44)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post