alt-text

It blows our hivemind that the United States doesn’t use the ISO 216 paper size standard (A4, A5 and the gang).

Like, we consider ourselves worldly people and are aware of America’s little idiosyncrasies like mass incarceration, the widespread availability of assault weapons and not being able to transfer money via your banking app, but come on - look how absolutely great it is to be European:

The American mind cannot comprehend this diagram

[Diagram of paper sizes as listed below]

ISO 216 A series papers formats

AO

A1

A3

A5

A7

A6

Et.

A4

Instead, Americans prostrate themselves to bizarrely-named paper types of seemingly random size: Letter, Legal, Tabloid (Ledger) and all other types of sordid nonsense. We’re not even going to include a picture because this is a family-friendly finance blog.

Source: Financial Times

    • ITGuyLevi@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      5 months ago

      Not really sure about that one, I’ve been able to transfer money with my banks app for more than a decade. Not all US banks are created equal.

      • Oderus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        5 months ago

        Not all US banks are created equal

        I think that’s the issue. Also how common direct deposit for paycheques in the US? I hear it’s rare but in Canada, it’s the norm and all our banks here can do e-transfers.

        • ITGuyLevi@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          5 months ago

          I’ve had direct deposit for every job since around 2004, before that it was a paper check on payday. Really I signed up for direct deposit after my manager gave me a hard time when I came in to pick up my check on a day I called out sick.

        • acetanilide@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          5 months ago

          It’s relatively common, unless you work for a typical cash pay job (usually labor jobs, like construction)

        • JargonWagon@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          I’ve had direct deposit at every job I’ve worked for over a decade. Before then, I only had one job that didn’t offer it, though I had friends with jobs that did have direct deposit. Very common to have it these days. Some jobs can even get you direct deposit for the amount you worked that very same day, so I’d work 8 hours and by the time I get home, I’d have my pay from that day, and it’s like that everyday.

          Source: US citizen

    • JargonWagon@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      5 months ago

      I’ve been able to transfer money through my banking app for a while without issue. Not sure where that came from in the post, cause it’s not true lol.

    • hOrni@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      5 months ago

      Yes. I can transfer money to someone just by knowing their phone number. I can do it on a Sunday afternoon and they get the money instantly. I haven’t used cash for more than a decade now. Haven’t used a card for at least 5 years.