# What Time is It? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 11, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624 "2002-03-11T17:39:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/1 "2002-03-11T17:39:47Z")
I just noticed after logging out that the latest posts are displayed as “5:30 p.m.” or so (it’s around 11:30 a.m. here as I write this), meaning that the post times are marked using GMT. After re-logging in , the times are displayed again in my local time zone. Does anyone find this potentially confusing? Has the British Empire colonized this Board? I think the old SDMB has Chicago time as the default, so are we not keeping that on the new Board? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/2 "2002-03-11T17:56:20Z")
It’s Howdy Doody time!!! (actually, i wasn’t confused until i became logged out while reading this thread and the time screwed up. so it’s YOUR fault!!! :D) ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/3 "2002-03-11T18:05:15Z")
Actually, I think the big problem here is that as far as our dear friend **Esprix** is concerned, today is February 18th. If we don’t figure out a way to date-correct him, we’ll be celebrating next Christmas in mid-January. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/4 "2002-03-11T18:17:41Z")
Either that, or we’ll all need to move to [Ukraine](http://www.uazone.net/holidays/christmas.html). OK, I have to stop hijacking my own threads… ---
**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:** [March 12, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/5 "2002-03-12T02:55:52Z")
Another thing to look into. I would give this a low priority but we will try to investigate. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/6 "2002-03-12T03:14:39Z")
Thanks. I am deeply grateful for what the mods and admins are doing and certainly don’t think this is a top-priority item. But I think (I hope) you guys also want our input so that issues _are_ noticed and pointed out. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/7 "2002-03-12T03:18:44Z")
Eh, it doesn’t matter whether the SDMB sets a Central Time zone default or not–just change it on your computer. Click on User CP, up at the top, then click on Edit Options, scroll down practically to the bottom to where it says Date and Time Options, then select your time zone. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/8 "2002-03-12T03:30:42Z")
I did that already, and the time shows correctly _if I’m logged in_. My question was why the default is GMT otherwise. But it’s no big deal, really, after recovering from the first few moments of “whaaa? somebody’s posting from the future?” confusion. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2002, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/9 "2002-03-12T04:36:22Z")
OK I get it. The time will be displayed according to your user preferences if you are logged in. It will be displayed according to the board’s default settings if you are not logged in. That seems to me to be right and proper. Is your question “why are the board default settings GMT instead of Chicago, Illinois, USA time?” ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/10 "2002-03-12T06:46:06Z")
Indeed - February 17th lasted _way_ too long for my liking. But the time between yesterday (February 18th) and today (March 12th) just FLEW by. Fortunately, the quick passage of time also kept me sane. really. Truly. 🙂 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/11 "2002-03-12T12:52:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*Is your question “why are the board default settings GMT instead of Chicago, Illinois, USA time?” \*\* Yes, that’s part of it. The other part is why it changes depending on whether one is logged in or not – as I recall when I used to post from the Mountain Time Zone, times were always shown as CST regardless of one’s log-in status. Maybe that’s just one of the new vB changes. It’s really more of a curiosity than a complaint, though. ---
**Author:** ![sirjamesp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@sirjamesp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirjamesp)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/12 "2002-03-12T13:06:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > Is your question “why are the board default settings GMT instead of Chicago, Illinois, USA time?” I can answer that. It’s because GMT is the only correct time, of course. If you Americans will choose to laze around in bed all morning whilst us Brits are up and working our fingers to the bone, then I think you’ve taken quite enough advantage of the day without changing the clocks around too. And as for those Europeans who work an hour ahead of GMT - it’s really only a ruse to be able to knock off an hour early. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/13 "2002-03-12T13:55:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earthling \* > \*\*The other part is why it changes depending on whether one is logged in or not – as I recall when I used to post from the Mountain Time Zone, times were always shown as CST regardless of one’s log-in status. \*\* I’d like to retract this part of the question. I just remembered that during my MST-posting period, I never changed my personal time offset away from CST, so _of course_ it’ll always show Chicago time no matter what. Duh. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/14 "2002-03-12T17:46:44Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **sirjamesp** _ > > If you Americans will choose to laze around in bed all morning whilst us Brits are up and working our fingers to the bone, then I think you’ve taken quite enough advantage of the day without changing the clocks around too. Laze around? Bah! You go to bed at, what, 10:00, 11:00 p.m.? Man, that’s when us Americans’ days are _just getting started_. We get more done before you hit REM then you will in a full day! Esprix ---
**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:** [March 14, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-time-is-it/97624/15 "2002-03-14T00:08:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earthling \* > as I recall when I used to post from the Mountain Time Zone, times were always shown as CST regardless of one’s log-in status. Maybe that’s just one of the new vB changes Yes, that’s a new “feature” of vBulletin. When you’re not logged in time will show as the default board time.