The Confusing Timezones Dabate

[HOAX]

It's a little confusing to even explain but I'm gonna try.

 

Norway.

 

Time here is: ca 16:38

 

but...

 

UTC + 1 CET (Central European Time)

UTC + 2 CEST (Central European Summer Time)

GMT + 1 (Greenwich Mean Time)

UTC + 1 (Coordinated Universal Time)

 

These are all the same and are all much used in Norway.

What the hell is the point with all these timezones when UTC excist?

In practice there is UTC-4 (Washington DC) and UTC+2 (Oslo, Norway) (the differences inbetween in realtime is 6 hours) but when someone use these they allways put something confusing behind like I described earlier, like UTC+2 "CEST".

 

Look as an example here: http://cs5launch.adobe.com/

It's not so confusing (could still be) there since they have used different timezones but it's very rare people announce things descibed as this.

 

They should start doing it like this:

 

USA = UTC+1:1200

Norway = UTC+47:0600

 

Which means: Every country has it's timezone (goes after capital) and why not use the national calling code (telephone).

 

So let's say, Eden are announcing the date for release for it's TDU2:

 

"Test Drive Unlimited 2 will be released September 1. 2010 - UTC+1:0000"

 

Which means: Let's say everyone agrees that Washington DC (Calling Code 1 = UTC+1) will be centerpoint for everyone and everything. Then it means that the game will be released September 1. 2010, 12am (since ofcourse Eden announced it by using UTC+1). So from common sence it will be easier for me to know when it will be released in Norway (Calling Code 47 = UTC+47). If this had been realized then most, if not all would know how much time difference there are between their own capital and Washington DC.

 

 

Do you agree and what do you mean about it?

(I hope it was understandable)

[t.]

I know what you are saying and agree to an extent. I fully understand times zones however the way they are expressed is often confusing. Having one value which is worked forward and backward of by 12 hours would simply things.

 

My solution has been to just memorise the time zones that concern me or use my iPhone :)

[Andreas¹]

I agree that times zones can be confusing, although I've learned to deal with it. I've done the same as tWm and memorized most of it.

The thing that confuses me now is summer and winter time, I guess I'll learn that too at some point.

[HOAX]

If they could at leased used one time zone (-12 to +12) as it probably was ment to be used then everything would've been fine, but in modern time they have like time for everything (several military times, space, science, geologic, metrologic etc.).

Soon we will probably also have UTT (Universal Time Travel) :D

[Jazzi]

I'm quite happy with the timezones as they are now. To be honest the new one that you're proposing is more confusing.

[iLLGT3]

As of right now, the time in the UK is 5 hours ahead of me. Before some time change we had like last week or something, the UK was 6 hours ahead. I hate that.. :(

 

But what I don't know is, does that make me GMT -6 still, or do I change to GMT -5?? I guess I stay -6. :confused:

[Jazzi]

Since all the times change, you stay at GMT -6 :)

[HOAX]

I'm quite happy with the timezones as they are now. To be honest the new one that you're proposing is more confusing.

Why?

If you know your national calling code, which in your case is +44 (or 0044) then you know the exact time "it" will be released.

 

A good example for the confusion is when Bad Company 2 was released.

It was released most places 01:00 (online Norway) but at Steam you couldn't download it before 02:00. At spaceworld.no you could download it at 00:00.

Valve's (Steam) explaination was that they followed MSK time (Moscow, Russia) since that was done previously. Valve said there was no clearance on what CET time, and that they was not aware CET time was MEZ time.

Still nobody knows when it was supposed to be released.

The biggest reason why this was an issue in this case (company wise) is due to piracy. Though in this case and most cases the games are leaked several days before, but the highest download rate happens at release dates.

[hpluls]

I don't think I get it... :confused: You're suggesting that each country has its own timezone? Pretty confusing IMO... The idea of the entire country having the same time as the capital wouldn't work in large countries either (US, Russia, Australia etc).

[HOAX]

Yeah I see that one... hmm. I dont know. I still think a better solution could be made. Not necessarily international calling codes but... something... universial.

[KoenigseggBG]

Everyone remembered to add an hour to their clocks today? :)

[Camel]

No, so it's a good job all my clocks remembered to do it. :)

[CarMadMike]

I woke up and heard the theme tune to "Something for the weekend" on BBC2, That starts at 11 normally, and my watch said 10:30, So i was wondering what on earth was going on.

 

So no, I didn't remember until then.

[Mb]

Everyone remembered to add an hour to their clocks today? :)

Nope!

I forgot to put my clock right so my alarm didn't ring at the right time. But i didn't hear it anyway so i missed all the F1 action :lol:

[KoenigseggBG]

Guess you guys really pay attention to the news. :p

[Mb]

Yeah, especially the news on autoblog. /care about the rest :p

[cis4care]

I remebered.. since my mom was waking me up at 1AM to turn my clock lol

 

 

 

And yeah, the codes you are proposing, HOAX, are rather confusing to me too. I just use my cell phone when i'm in trouble with time zones, so it's not really a major problem for me.

[MarutiHead]

In Finland ca is now 9:43 AM, and my first school lesson starts 11:20 AM.. =)

[calster17]

I personally think the GMT works.....As i can follow it fine, when i went to Germany i just had to put my clock ahead by 1 hour, and vice versa!

 

Also with the clocks going ahead on sunday....i forgot about it so my alarm went off at 5 insted of 6....so i went back to sleep forgetting about it! Then got up later descovering that i had missed the F1 and that it wasn't 11Am, but it was 12Pm!:cry: But least the race was repeated at 1!

[Ryzza5]

Windows 7 lets you have multiple clocks in your system tray (there's obviously going to be similar 3rd party apps too).

 

I've got my own Aussie (GMT+10) clock, London, and East America. Yeah, I just use west/central/east as I don't know what PDT and all that other jazz refers to.

 

I use the -12+/-x system to keep track of what the time is elsewhere.

 

It's 11.10am Friday here. For London, I go -12 + 3 = 11+3 = it must be 2.10am there.

For New York, I go -12-2 = 11-2, it must be 9.10pm there.

[Fridge Magnet Rabbit]

wow, im surprised people forget about BST, British Summer Time, which is what the UK is in right now, not GMT+1 ;)

[FizzPagan2000]

oh this is easy - hoax you buy the game when the shop opens or if you have mail ordered then you get it when the postman comes :)

 

as for the times around the world - if the sun is at it's xenith then it's mid day as far as i'm concerned.

i know australia are approximately 9hrs ahead and the u.s. is at least 5hrs behind.

 

titling the time zones any differently from how the sun dictates is a bit pointless.

 

soon as we can sort out the whole curvature of the planet problem we can re-address this methinks :D

[Ryzza5]

Did any of you guys read the (one of many) stupid posts on the TDU2 forums where they guy said they should base the time zone offsets on the telephone country code? I wasn't surprised to see that he came from the same place as Mr Bush :)

[Immelmann]

Err... what?