::I'd say most people don't shive a git one way or another, re: number systems.  I wish they did, I've tried talking about all kinds of things with people, but few are interested in math, physics and the like.  Basically, our anonymous fellow is quite correct.  If you walk up to two people on the street and say "the ratio of your heights is 1", they will think "we have the same height".  If, however, you say "the ratio of your heights is 0.999... (and continuing to say "nine")" they will think "one of us is ever so slightly taller than the other".  if they interrupt you and ask who is the taller, and you say, "bzzzt, wrong bucko, according to centuries of real analysis, your heights are the same", they will say something like this:  "Then why don't you just use '1' and be done with the matter?", and probably conclude you are just a pedantic asshole, out to waste their time.