6 chapters across the catalog
A4 Paper Proportions and International Standards
A rant against the A4 paper standard criticizes its proportions as "ugly" and "creepy" compared to the US Letter format. The speaker argues that A4 does not follow the Fibonacci or Golden Ratio, leading to an "unpleasant" visual experience that irritates international listeners.
A technical issue with an Epson printer cutting off text leads to a discovery that the device was defaulted to European A4 paper settings. This prompts a discussion on the failed 1960s and 1970s initiatives to convert the United States to the metric system. The use of A4 paper is characterized as an early globalist move that failed to gain traction in American offices.
A discussion on "no borders" internationalism leads to a tangent about the metric system and paper sizes. One host expresses a visceral dislike for the dimensions of A4 paper, calling it "creepy" and "too narrow" compared to standard 8.5x11 letter paper. They debate whether paper dimensions should follow the Fibonacci golden ratio and why the U.S. has resisted adopting the metric system.
Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 617 of the No Agenda show, with Curry broadcasting from Tokyo and Dvorak from Northern California. They experience immediate technical difficulties with their Skype connection, attributing the delay to the show's intro jingle. The conversation shifts to Dvorak's frustration with modern web design and the difficulty of printing pages due to excessive JavaScript and advertising, leading to a brief debate over the merits of A4 paper versus American standards.
Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 617 of No Agenda, dealing with a delayed Skype connection between Tokyo and Northern Silicon Valley. They discuss the frustrations of modern web design, specifically how JavaScript and advertising prevent clean printing of web pages. The conversation touches on the benefits of printing to PDF and mentions listener feedback regarding a previous rant against A4 paper dimensions.
Esperanto, Metric System, International Standardization
The conversation shifts to failed attempts at global standardization, such as the constructed language Esperanto and the U.S. resistance to the metric system. They discuss the "perils" of A4 paper dimensions and the legal battles in the UK over shopkeepers refusing to abandon imperial measurements for metric ones.
