# Why GMT? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 25, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074 "2002-03-25T21:13:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/1 "2002-03-25T21:13:12Z")
Why did all the times change from Central Time to Greenwich Mean Time? Are the servers based in the U.K. now or is this a nod to how multi-national this board has become? ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/2 "2002-03-25T22:12:05Z")
My WAG is that GMT is the default on the software (it certainly is on a lot of other messageboard software). I suspect the theory goes that most people will know their offset from GMT, few will know their offset from a local timezone not in their own country. ---
**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 26, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/3 "2002-03-26T01:02:47Z")
The default is GMT if you’re not signed in. It’s Chicago (Illinois, USA) time if you are signed in. I don’t know if the display for the default time when you’re not logged in can be changed. But if it could, I would still favour leaving it at GMT, which gives the board a more international flavour. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/4 "2002-03-26T03:10:51Z")
Neat. I didn’t notice the change in time when I’m logged in. I only default logged in on my work computer. (I, uh, only use it after hours. Honest.)😉 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/5 "2002-03-26T07:21:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > But if it could, I would still favour leaving it at GMT, which gives the board a more international flavo **u** r. (bolding mine) Blimey! I think he means it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/6 "2002-03-26T07:22:37Z")
He said “favour” an’ all, guv. Musta missed that, like. ---
**Author:** ![pegleg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@pegleg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pegleg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/7 "2002-03-26T18:41:22Z")
Hey LOADED Maybe Arnold spends his summers UP here in Canada for that international flavoUr.😉 ---
**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 26, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/8 "2002-03-26T23:55:26Z")
I just do it to be different. For a while there I was on a kick where I was using “thou”, “thy” and “thee” all the time but I’m over it now. I plan on sticking by the British spelling though, except it makes it hell when I work on a document with a colleague and we try to spell check our combined effort. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gmt/100074/9 "2002-03-28T21:39:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Swede Hollow \* > \*\*Why did all the times change from Central Time to Greenwich Mean Time? Are the servers based in the U.K. now or is this a nod to how multi-national this board has become? \*\* And there was me assuming that the boards software could now automatically tell which country / timezone I was in (seriously). I suppose I would have found out next week, when the British clocks change.