# Posts showing time stamps in wrong time zone? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 8, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997 "2015-06-08T19:07:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/1 "2015-06-08T19:07:29Z")
Since I’ve been on this board, the time stamps on posts have been wrong. They appear to show GMT -5 time (Eastern I think?), instead of GMT -8 (Pacific, where I am). I never really cared much, but it kinda bugs me a little. So today I poked through my profile and found the time zone setting. It is correctly set to Pacific (GMT -8). So why do posts show time stamps three hours off? What else do I need to fix here? ETA: New posts that I make myself (like this one) show the correct PST or PDT stamp, at first anyway. I think if I return to this thread sometime later, then the time stamp will be wrong, along with all stamps on other posts. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/2 "2015-06-08T19:11:44Z")
Hmmmm… Upon thinking about this enough to make the above post, I think I’ve just figured it out. If I’m not signed in while reading posts, it shows Eastern time (the server local time?). If I sign in, then it shows the time correctly. Okay, that makes sense. :smack: ETA: And the discrepancy is only two hours, not three. (Does that place the server in Central Time Zone? Is that where Chicago is?) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/3 "2015-06-08T19:15:56Z")
I get Chicago time whether I’m signed in or not. I just assumed it was meant to be that way. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/4 "2015-06-08T19:18:46Z")
I get Tulsa time. But that’s a good thing, right? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/5 "2015-06-08T19:51:59Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I get Chicago time whether I’m signed in or not. I just assumed it was meant to be that way. So, with my newfound wisdom, maybe I get to advise _you_ : Did you check the time zone setting in your profile? (Or is that too obvious to even ask? Maybe I should first ask if your computer is plugged in and if your printer has paper. :dubious: ) It’s under “Edit Options” in your profile page. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/6 "2015-06-08T20:25:48Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I get Tulsa time. But that’s a good thing, right? Your baby might call you crazy and your mama might call you lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/7 "2015-06-09T03:12:58Z")
Are you sure you didn’t simply get drunk and wake up in another time zone? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posts-showing-time-stamps-in-wrong-time-zone/721997/8 "2015-06-09T04:04:35Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Are you sure you didn’t simply get drunk and wake up in another time zone? I always stop the earth while I do that so I’ll wake up in the same time zone I started from. Avoids losing time that way.