Comma vs point<\/p>\n
I also might not fully agree with David Tucker's reasons on
\nwhy Indonesia should stick to the \"decimal comma\" instead of
\nswitching to the \"decimal point\" (The Jakarta Post, Dec. 15).<\/p>\n
Still, I agree with him on Indonesia's right to keep the
\ndecimal comma: the system was inherited from the Dutch and is
\nneither out of tune nor not modernly progressive, as stated by
\nRudy Schouten (Dec. 22; Schouten sounds like a Dutch name?).<\/p>\n
In this \"ever more integrated, borderless and technical
\nworld,\" most of Europe uses the decimal comma (for easy
\nreference, see how the currency conversion rates are quoted at
\nwww.euro.ecb.int, the portal of the European Central Bank) and I
\ndo not think countries like Germany, France, Spain, Italy,
\nBenelux, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland can be
\nconsidered \"out of tune with the rest of the world.\"<\/p>\n
If being truly international means having to conform to Anglo
\nSaxon practices, why not get rid of the decimal system (imposed
\nby Napoleon) outright? Or start writing dates with the month
\nfollowed by the day and year (in compliance with good, solid and
\nmodern American logic?) rather than the antiquated European logic
\nof day, month, year.<\/p>\n
Overall standardization will happen in due time, following a
\nnatural process, the same as we are experiencing with the
\nintroduction of the euro, and we will see with the unification of
\naccountancy systems.<\/p>\n
It is all coming. Whether the decimal point or the decimal
\ncomma, at that stage it will not really matter.<\/p>\n
BENITO L. CURTAZ<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/comma-vs-point-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }