What are some advantages and disadvantages if using arbitrary units?
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Right away, arbitrary units only make sense to a small group. Anything that only benefits a small amount of the population is always less useful than the same type of thing that benefits more.
Second, if the arbitrary base unit is set to something that can change widely, then any measurement made won't mean anything.
Suppose I pick the current length of a caterpillar to measure length of fabric to sell. What happens as that insect grows? Fabric measured a week ago to 10 caterpillars will seem to shrink as it is now only 6 caterpillars, when in reality the fabric stayed the same size. Not to mention, anyone not in possession of the correct caterpillar won't have any idea how much fabric they have.
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