Know your timezone (stop saying EST and GMT)

[Amarok]

Being in a rl job that deals with timezones around the world on a regular basis, a big pet peave of mine is people that don't know the timezone they are in.

Currently I see lots of shouts from people saying "join this Salvage LS, we make runs from 7pm EST", etc etc.

However on delving deeper I actually find they are talking about EST+1 or GMT+1 (otherwise known as EDT and BST). To those people I say "we're in summer time, remember when you put your clocks forward 1 hour?". I usually get grief for about 10 mins while they are adament they are in the right, but a quick check to www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/) and they soon wise up.

New York is currently in EDT time not EST, if you say EST when you actually mean local time in New York, please don't be suprised if your members turn up 1 hour later than you!

Please people educate yourselves in the proper use of timezone abbreviations if you are gonna use them! EDT, PDT and BST rule during the summer (although I tend to use "UK time" instead of BST for obvious reasons).

Ama

ps. It is unfortunate so many people make the same mistake about using est during summer time, which leads to people who do actually know the difference just quietly accepting the "intentional time meant". However I wanted to moan about it :)

[Sevv]

i always say est for event times and never had people complete screw it up. Every Na/Eu Player understands Daylight Savings time and is use to the cycle by now. I can see how it would bug you as you said you work with this, but most people just have the common knowledge to know the time.

[Kirsteena]

I think that is something you have to take up with individual linkshells.

Personally, mine uses GMT all year, and does make that distinction (confused the hell out of me when I went back to it).

[Mhurron]

EST is still the correct label for the timezone, however for ~6 months out of the year EST runs EDT. Most people are bright enough to figure that out so saying EST isn't a problem unless you're going to do things backwards and expect that saying EST always means -5 UTC.

BTW, the correct way of dealing with time if you're dealing with it professionally is to always talk about offsets from Universal, so even then EST during EDT time periods shouldn't bother you that much.

[Hantz]

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:39 AM.

Wouldn't it be easier for it to say: EDT -1?

I'm all tangled up.

[Murphie]

I prefer using MAT, which is Murphie Awesome Time. Which is pretty much all the time.

Right now it's 10:45 Murphie Awesome Time.

[Hantz]

I prefer using MAT, which is Murphie Awesome Time. Which is pretty much all the time.

Right now it's 10:45 Murphie Awesome Time.

Yes. Usually, to prevent confusion, I use HMT: Hantz Mean Time.

It's 30:96 in HMT right now. Well, now that Pluto is a 'planetite,' my whole system is just a few minutes off, but still fairly useful. You know, because I'm so damn mean. In actual life. Not to you guys.

[Murphie]

You can be mean to me if necessary. It's cool. I'm used to it.

[Hantz]

You can be mean to me if necessary. It's cool. I'm used to it.

/pity

I suppose I could be mean to you, but it would be totally unnecessary.

[Sevv]

I prefer using MAT, which is Murphie Awesome Time. Which is pretty much all the time.
Right now it's 10:45 Murphie Awesome Time.

Holy Shit I go by MAT time O.o; lol

[Murphie]

Everyone goes by MAT. They just might not know it.

[LyonheartLakshmi]

I tried educating people that the new millenium didn't start in 2000, but actually started in 2001. But they just don't seem to care.

New York is currently in EDT time not EST, if you say EST when you actually mean local time in New York, please don't be suprised if your members turn up 1 hour later than you!
People who are actually on EST right now (i.e. they don't observe DST) are in a very small minority. So if you see people saying yada yada EST during the summer time, it's a very safe bet to assume that they mean EDT.

So unless your LS is heavily populated by players from Atikokan, New Osnaburgh and Pickle Lake, Ontario, having members show up an hour late probably isn't going to be an issue. :P

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Wait, you're saying I shouldn't use EST because some people in New York have thier own special time zone?

To those people I say "we're in summer time, remember when you put your clocks forward 1 hour?".

Spring forward, Fall back.

Hmmmm.

I propose a new time zone with a new time frame. MMFFT.

Maximum Ma'fakkin Free Time. In the interest of having as much of a life as possible, the hours on the clock will be converted from 24 to 36.

The first twelve hours will remain standard, mornings suck and we need to bitch about something, but after 12pm, each hour will be halved, but still counted the same as a normal hour. Those that work from 9am to 5pm will still do so and counted as the same, even though it would be working from 9am to 2:30PM by current standards.

Let Spain have thier siesta time, they just delay the inevitable. On MMFFT, you can get that nap after work and have more time with your family, more time to watch TV and play videogames. On MMFFT, school goes by more quickly and rush hour could become a block party.

Convert to MMFFT today.

[Humar]

*this is actual costomer with actual results*

"Yeah i converted to MMFFT a few days ago...and let me tell you...my life has changed dramatically. I get more sleep more time to yell at the kids...and more ...well >.> <.< guys you know..... MMFFT is the best thing that ever happened to me...you should try it too!"

(I think im in love with MMFFT)

[Feba]

I tried educating people that the new millenium didn't start in 2000, but actually started in 2001. But they just don't seem to care.

Agreed.

In other news, I wish the entire planet would give up time zones and change to using UTC, since it Just Makes Life Easier, but people are morans.

Then again, I also wish English would switch over to a shavian/quikscript type writing system, and also have massive reforms to eliminate the more retarded parts of the language. So maybe I embrace change too much.

[Aeni]

Just go by server time ... oh wait.

Seriously though, I love the clock system in WoW and how you will be given both server time and local time. Essentially, when preparing for events, just tell them "server time" and anyone who is remotely punctual will show up to the event no problems.

[Nuriko]

Everyone goes by MAT. They just might not know it.

And then, at the higher levels, you have to deal with MAAT...

[Murphie]

He doesn't have a time though. Unless you count that time that I kicked his ass. But he doesn't like to talk about that.

[Raydeus]

I prefer using MAT, which is Murphie Awesome Time. Which is pretty much all the time.

Right now it's 10:45 Murphie Awesome Time.

This post really confused me, the fact that Mhurron's avatar was a taru and 2k-tan was missing from the sig really threw me out of balance. o.O?

[LilithAngel]

I could see where most NA/EU players don't have a problem with this, and I prolly wouldn't, either, but being in Japan and going by JST, it can (and has in the past) throw me off when some peeps use EST when they really meant EDT. Even timeanddate.com can (as it has once) fail to help me out if I'm unaware that they mean EDT (after being out of the States for so long, and not having to worry about DST, can make you forget it exists easily enough).

[Lleo]

My main problem with people and their knowledge about summer time is that many people wrongly assumes that GMT also have summer time. So when anyone uses GMT relative time, I always have find out what time they really meant.

[Mhurron]

This post really confused me, the fact that Mhurron's avatar was a taru and 2k-tan was missing from the sig really threw me out of balance. o.O?
Murphie just likes to ride my coat tails of awesome.

[Feba]

Murphie just likes to ride my coat tails of awesome.

Why do I have this image in my mind of us all sitting in basements looking like crap?

[Mhurron]

Why do I have this image in my mind of us all sitting in basements looking like crap?
I dunno, bc I'm at work putting in some OT now.

Awesome OT at that.

BTW, I think we all owe Raydeus some thanks for that post, it was well done and just damn funny.

[Feba]

Maybe if you're an egomaniac.

[Mhurron]

Maybe if you're an egomaniac.
Then why haven't you thanked him yet?

[Hershies]

Wait, you're saying I shouldn't use EST because some people in New York have thier own special time zone?



Spring forward, Fall back.

Hmmmm.

I propose a new time zone with a new time frame. MMFFT.

Maximum Ma'fakkin Free Time. In the interest of having as much of a life as possible, the hours on the clock will be converted from 24 to 36.

The first twelve hours will remain standard, mornings suck and we need to bitch about something, but after 12pm, each hour will be halved, but still counted the same as a normal hour. Those that work from 9am to 5pm will still do so and counted as the same, even though it would be working from 9am to 2:30PM by current standards.

Let Spain have thier siesta time, they just delay the inevitable. On MMFFT, you can get that nap after work and have more time with your family, more time to watch TV and play videogames. On MMFFT, school goes by more quickly and rush hour could become a block party.

Convert to MMFFT today.

Some very good ideas here. I'll get the earth, sun, and the moon on a conference call so you four can have a little chat.