# Setting the time on SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182 "2012-02-17T20:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/1 "2012-02-17T20:33:56Z")
I’ve set the time in CP to where I am, allowed for DSTime, yet I still get the time 4 hours later on the boards. 😕 What’s the secret to adjusting the correct time? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/2 "2012-02-17T20:44:17Z")
Not sure what’s going on with you. I’m in the Eastern time zone, as I have indicated in my User Control Panel settings and I’m getting more or less correct time (at least how I perceive it) on my end. Where are you related to GMT? ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/3 "2012-02-17T23:28:18Z")
Hi Jenny. I’m in eastern standard time. (NC) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/4 "2012-02-17T23:50:25Z")
In User CP, go to Edit Options, scroll down to Edit Date and Time, pick “Eastern (GMT -5)” in the first dropdown and “automatically detect DST” in the second. If you’ve done that, I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/5 "2012-02-18T17:17:26Z")
As twickster indicated, that’s how it’s done but I thought by your post that you had already done all that. If you have your settings correct in the User Control Panel for where you are or what you perceive as the “correct” time then we have to look to your computer, perhaps – I have seen other situations where another program overrides timekeeping functions and alters things. Sometimes the DST timekeeping part of Windows messes with things too. Hope it all resolves correctly for you. But of course you have to ask … does anybody really know what time it is? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/6 "2012-02-18T17:23:29Z")
Does anybody really care? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/7 "2012-02-18T17:25:54Z")
I’ve never gotten the time thing to work right for me. I always have to fudge it whenever we go on DST, even though I check the box that says to always adjust for it. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/8 "2012-02-18T19:05:52Z")
There have been several threads that I started just to get some data on the way different Dopers are relating to SDMB time. They have shown that there’s a good deal of discrepancy computer to computer around the world. One fun thing to do is to go to the bottom of the current page and find the message that resembles this one: > [@](#): > > All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:52 PM. If that’s reasonably close, at least as far as the minutes go, then your discrepancy at the hours level can be addressed as some combination of User CP settings, Windows (or whatever) settings, or the syncronization to “internet time.” Just for the thrill, type in the time that your computer is showing and add a minute to it, then hit submit the moment it changes so you can compare the time stamp on your post to the way your computer is indicating “current time.” In your next post let us know how you have dealt with that information, and maybe someone can come up with a fix, if one is needed. As an example of what I mean, I’m keying in that my computer clock will be showing 1:06 PM CST at its next minute, and will hit submit when it changes to that time. ETA: as you see, my clock is off by a minute at that level but the hour level is in sync. I can deal with the slight bit off. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/9 "2012-02-18T20:16:01Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > In User CP, go to Edit Options, scroll down to Edit Date and Time, pick “Eastern (GMT -5)” in the first dropdown and “automatically detect DST” in the second. > > If you’ve done that, I got nothin’. Thanks, **Twicks** , that did it. And thanks to all for the responses, y’all were a big help! ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/10 "2012-02-18T20:22:41Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > As twickster indicated, that’s how it’s done but I thought by your post that you had already done all that. > > If you have your settings correct in the User Control Panel for where you are or what you perceive as the “correct” time then we have to look to your computer, perhaps – I have seen other situations where another program overrides timekeeping functions and alters things. Sometimes the DST timekeeping part of Windows messes with things too. > > Hope it all resolves correctly for you. But of course you have to ask … does anybody really know what time it is? As the cuckoo said in the coffee house, when he came out with a joint in his beak, _“Say man, what time is it??”_ ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/11 "2012-02-18T21:01:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Does anybody really care? As helpful as always, I see. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/12 "2012-02-18T21:22:49Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > As helpful as always, I see. Ever been to Chicago? ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/13 "2012-02-18T21:53:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Ever been to Chicago? Ah, I get it now. I was whooshed. It would have helped if you had quoted **Tuba’s** set up line, though. It’s too easy to assume you were replying to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/14 "2012-02-18T21:56:45Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Ah, I get it now. I was whooshed. It would have helped if you had quoted **Tuba’s** set up line, though. It’s too easy to assume you were replying to the OP. You are probably correct, but I was hoping that the fact that my line immediately followed hers would be enough. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/15 "2012-02-18T23:49:20Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > Thanks, **Twicks** , that did it. > And thanks to all for the responses, y’all were a big help! You’re welcome! ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/16 "2012-02-19T16:56:56Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > As the cuckoo said in the coffee house, when he came out with a joint in his beak, _“Say man, what time is it??”_ Like Dave Frishberg: "I’m so hip I call my girlfriend ‘man.’ " 😃 (I can dig it.) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/17 "2012-02-20T04:17:46Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You are probably correct, but I was hoping that the fact that my line immediately followed hers would be enough. If so, I can’t imagine why. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/18 "2012-02-24T11:42:20Z")
This is a post to test the time stamp. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/19 "2012-02-24T13:29:46Z")
This is a test to post the time stamp. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182/20 "2012-02-24T13:42:12Z")
Help stamp out test posting-give to The March of Time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-the-time-on-sdmb/613182.md?page=2)