# I think the time on this site is off

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [June 29, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505 "2002-06-29T02:18:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505/1 "2002-06-29T02:18:32Z")

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My computer clock’s in sync pretty much with the 11 o’clock news’s, and the SDMB says it’s actually 3 minutes ahead. I’ve noticed that the time around here is sometimes the same as my computer’s, sometimes it’s ahead, and sometimes it’s behind. Why is it so screwed up?

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505/2 "2002-06-29T04:42:23Z")

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I would guess because the server for the SDMB is very accurate and your computer is off; or both of them are off; or yours is accurate and the server is off because it’s not “synched” to an atomic clock.

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**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505/3 "2002-06-29T12:43:30Z")

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A man with one clock always knows exactly what time it is. A man with two clocks is never sure.

I don’t remember where I read this, but it applies here.

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**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505/4 "2002-06-29T14:38:31Z")

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There is another possibility which occurs when I visit. After reaching the forums page I click on the forum I wish to read. If, having read the messages, I then use the back button to return to the front page, the time displayed is the time when I first arrived at the site. If however I return to the front page via one of the links at the top of the page ( because I have posted, for example) then the time displayed is the current time.

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**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505/5 "2002-06-29T15:56:51Z")

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Yikes. I just checked the SDMB clock against the USNO clock. We’re between 2m50s and 3m00s fast. Good thing I never use this clock. 😉

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**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-time-on-this-site-is-off/116505/6 "2002-06-30T16:21:54Z")

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During peak usage periods, vital hamster power is sometimes diverted from the SDMB clock in order to keep up with the demand for “Page Not Found” errors.