# SDMB Time - what zone/country? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 7, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238 "2003-06-07T02:59:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/1 "2003-06-07T02:59:30Z")
What does GMT mean in reference to the time? I live in Dallas, TX and it is now 10:02 PM, Central Mountain Time. The SDMB time is something odd like 3:00 AM. Can you clarify? Thank you!! ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/2 "2003-06-07T03:12:04Z")
GMT means Greenwich Mean Time, the time in Greenwich, England. All world time zones are based on Greenwich Mean Time. More information at [http://greenwichmeantime.com/](http://greenwichmeantime.com/) ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/3 "2003-06-07T03:17:21Z")
If you hit the “user cp” button, then “edit options” and scroll down to “time offset” you can set to your local time, \*\* Blonde\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/4 "2003-06-07T03:46:01Z")
Something’s a bit odd though. I set the time to GMT+8 for Hong Kong, yet it insists that the time is one hour ahead of what it actually is here (eg SDMB shows 0900 when it’s actually 1000). So right now I have to have it set to GMT+7 to coordinate it with the actual HK time, but GMT+7 is meant to be for Bangkok, Hanoi and Jakarta. Did I make sense? Anyone get what the monkey is goin’ on here? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/5 "2003-06-07T04:13:29Z")
**Blonde** : follow the instructions that **donkeyoatey** posted, and set to GMT-6:00. That’s Central (Dallas) time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/6 "2003-06-07T04:22:42Z")
I guess **Arnold** is on top of that, **green\_bladder**. From the [FAQ](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1987555#post1987555) : > [@](#): > > If the Daylight Savings Time change of your current physical location does not match the Daylight Savings Time change of the server’s physical location, members will need to select the right offset accordingly, typically by adjusting the time in your User CP by one hour, either forward or backwards depending on where you are. Unfortunately during this period you can not rely on the “physical location” drop-down in the User CP \> Edit Options control panel. Choose the offset that is correct for you, ignoring the description of the physical location that corresponds to that offset. (I found that searching on “Daylight Saving Time”, it was linked in one of the first threads found.) ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/7 "2003-06-07T05:43:22Z")
Well I’m in Australia, but I prefer to keep the SDMB on its default Chicago time. After all, I **know** what my local time is (if I don’t I can just glance at the computer’s clock), but keeping the boards on a central US timezone is useful for predicting when things are likely to by busy, slow, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/8 "2003-06-07T06:02:33Z")
Unlike **TheLoadedDog** , I like to see my local time up there under posts, mainly because I like to see how long it’s been since folk post, I don’t like going through mental gymnastics working out plus or minus whatever the time zone differences are, and apart from when NZ goes into daylight saving, it’s roses. When daylight saving happens, I just go for the nearest zone I can find, usually an hour out. If the board’s slow, it’s slow. I just go take a walk somewhere. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/9 "2003-06-07T12:05:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by donkeyoatey \* > \*\*I guess **Arnold** is on top of that, **green\_bladder**. > From the [FAQ](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1987555#post1987555) : > > (I found that searching on “Daylight Saving Time”, it was linked in one of the first threads found.) \*\* I guess that would make sense. But South East Asia doesn’t use DST though. Oh well, we’ll see what happens. ---
**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 7, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/10 "2003-06-07T14:47:53Z")
South East Asia may not, but the USA does. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/11 "2003-06-08T01:55:53Z")
Thanks for the information, y’all!! To everything there is a season, and a TIME for every purpose. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/12 "2003-06-09T20:42:03Z")
Am I the only one who read the title as asking for zone/century? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/13 "2003-06-10T11:33:14Z")
**green\_bladder** , I think your problem is that HK doesn’t use Daylight Saving Time (ObNitpick: **not** Daylight Savings!), whereas we do in the UK, and the board allows for that. So “SDMB time” is currently BST (British Summer Time), or GMT +0100. Which is handy for me, as no gymnastics, mental or otherwise, are needed. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/14 "2003-06-10T11:55:46Z")
The SDMB clock is set incorrectly for six months every year. GMT (or UTC) is universal. When we in Ireland/UK go into daylight savings time, we are at GMT+1. However, the clock that the board’s version of vBulletin uses is actually changed during DST in Chicago so that what it calls GMT is _actually_ GMT+1. This messes with our international friends (such as Hong Kong residents like **green\_bladder** ) who don’t use daylight savings time. I don’t know if this is **Arnold’s** decision, or a vagary of the software, but it is just plain incorrect. (However, it also is no biggie either.) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/15 "2003-06-10T12:31:07Z")
\<\< GMT (or UTC) is universal. When we in Ireland/UK go into daylight savings time, we are at GMT+1. However, the clock that the board’s version of vBulletin uses is actually changed during DST in Chicago so that what it calls GMT is actually GMT+1. \>\> Note that Chicago goes on or off DST within a week of when the UK/Ireland do the same, so the clock is only “off” by two weeks a year if it’s set for the Chicago daylight time conversion. Except that what it calls GMT is, of course, as you say, really GDT (Greenwich Daylight Time). The [World Clock website](http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/) can tell you what time it is anywhere. And they adjust for daylight time, and for all those places where the clock is half an hour different, or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/16 "2003-06-10T13:08:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*\<\< GMT (or UTC) is universal. When we in Ireland/UK go into daylight savings time, we are at GMT+1. > > However, the clock that the board’s version of vBulletin uses is actually changed during DST in Chicago so that what it calls GMT is actually GMT+1. \>\> > > Note that Chicago goes on or off DST within a week of when the UK/Ireland do the same, so the clock is only “off” by two weeks a year if it’s set for the Chicago daylight time conversion. Except that what it calls GMT is, of course, as you say, really GDT (Greenwich Daylight Time). > > The [World Clock website](http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/) can tell you what time it is anywhere. And they adjust for daylight time, and for all those places where the clock is half an hour different, or whatever. \*\* Forgive me for quibbling with an Administrator :eek:, but that isn’t the point I’m making. My point is that the clock is “off” now. Every year, when the Chicago Reader resets the SDMB clock, you’re actually changing the definition of GMT, which you shouldn’t be, because GMT never changes. E.g. it says that the current time where I am - i.e. 14:08 - is “GMT”. It isn’t. GMT is currently 13:08. The definition of GMT on the SDMB server is currently wrong, and will not be correct until the SDMB changes back to winter time. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/17 "2003-06-11T10:54:22Z")
Also note that it’s not “Greenwich Daylight Time”, which sounds like the time you get thrown out of a bar in New York. We prefer the slightly oxymoronic phrase “British Summer Time” (BST). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/18 "2003-06-11T11:49:11Z")
In other words: During the winter, Chicago is on GMT-5 (and the UK is on GMT). During the summer, Chicago is on GMT-4 (and the UK is on GMT+1). **GMT does _not_ change.** And nor should it on the server. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/19 "2003-06-11T11:52:58Z")
This all reminds me of the radio blooper I heard yesterday. A continuity announcer on her first day at Radio 4 said: > [@](#): > > It’s now five o’clock green witch. > > Meantime, here is the news. (For those who don’t know, “Greenwich” is actually pronounced “Grennitch”). ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238/20 "2003-06-11T12:30:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > **GMT does _not_ change.** And nor should it on the server. So it’s like, always 10:00 am? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-time-what-zone-country/180238.md?page=2)