Why choose the least used date format ?

[DeletedUser110131]

The topic is why they, the German company InnoGames, chose this format, not that they're German, nor whether they can change it. This topic naturally connects to the question of why the format exists in the first place, and whether it should be chosen by anyone.

But the real reason its done the American way is because without America everyone would be saying März 13 2017 and typing in German

That was the post that turned the discussion towards US attitudes and arrogance, as it relates to this issue. While I've used irony and sarcasm, I don't believe that I've been particularly emotional about the issue. I believe 'cynical' is a more appropriate term. While sarcastic, I've also presented arguments for my case; some humorous, but most quite factual and serious. That can hardly be said about docholliday, Augustavian, or you.

I'm not implying that all USAmericans are "ignorant and unable to communicate". I'm stating outright that the "individualism" that Augustavian champions would inevitably lead to a total collapse of communication skills, if it was actually practiced. My comments are only directed to him, and those that he's actually representative of. That he presents himself as representative of all USAmericans is hardly my fault.

While I've been acerbic, I'm quite sure I've also been civilized. 'Civilized' is not a synonym for 'pleasant', 'agreeable', 'friendly', or any other similar term. Being critical and disagreeable isn't incompatible with being civilized. It's also not incompatible with being factual, rational, reasoned, or even polite.

What I've certainly not done is explicitly call anyone "ignorant". I may have insinuated that some ideas, that are more common in the US than elsewhere, may not be particularly rational, and I may have exaggerated a bit for effect. Without going through everything I've written, I'm pretty sure I haven't directed any derogatory terms against any individual, at all. You, on the other hand, have. You're also being emotional, and I can return your question, and ask who you believe cares about your hurt feelings on behalf of USAmericans.

 

[Vesiger]

Also, why accept the Imperial British standard for a foot? Didn't you guys have a revolution? Invent your own, individual standards for a foot!

Don't give them ideas - they've already got their own (smaller) gallon and their own (larger) fluid ounce

 

[DeletedUser105544]

It is really pleasure to read this thread. I don't even need to troll here​

 

[DeletedUser108240]

DD/MMMM/YY 07/Febr/17
Alas, even with that confusion is still possible. after the turn of each century there is a 7-day period where the year and the date can be confused

 

[DeletedUser653]

A solution for 99 years is normally for a game quite sufficient. So DD/MMMM/YY is still the best solution and no one has come up with any real problems with it.

09/May /17 (or 09/05/17 europe, 05/09/17 usa)
01/Febr/17 (or 01/02/17 europe, 02/01/17 usa)
07/Nove/27 (or 07/11/17 europe, 11/07/17 usa)

DD/MMMM/YY is the only clear solution to stop confusion

 

[Vesiger]

Why not just use the whole month? It would be rather less confusing than writing 'Janu' or Octo', which are versions nobody has ever seen...

 

[DeletedUser110195]

Why not just use the whole month? It would be rather less confusing than writing 'Janu' or Octo', which are versions nobody has ever seen...

That would get quite lengthy on most months and the whole point of using just the last two digits of the year was to cut down on how much computer storage is used for dates. It should be 3 letters of the month in all cases. Uniform size of the date no matter when.

 

[DeletedUser110131]

The storage size of a date is minuscule, regardless. If you must save space, though, even one letter will require as much space as the two numbers saved by dropping two digits from the year, as decimal digits can be expressed in half a byte each, while letters require ASCII, which demands a full byte for every character.

Regardless, when it comes to avoiding misunderstandings, nothing beats the practice of conforming to international standards. In this case, that standard is ISO 8601, which prescribes YYYY-MM-DD. As an added bonus, the ISO standard takes four bytes, with no reduction in accuracy, where the DD/mmm/YY takes five bytes, with a reduction in accuracy. Not to mention DD/mmmm/YY, which takes six bytes.

 

[DeletedUser15986]

That would get quite lengthy on most months and the whole point of using just the last two digits of the year was to cut down on how much computer storage is used for dates. It should be 3 letters of the month in all cases. Uniform size of the date no matter when.

Most of the web-systems I deal with store in epoch format, and just convert to a string prior to the interface. Easier to handle, more efficient to store, and mostly idiot proof. (Only mostly though, because idiots are so ingenious sometimes.)

 

[DeletedUser653]

I base my view on working for a very large global company and needing to accept standard working practices (ie in europe people see DD/MM/YY and in US they see MM/DD/YY) and provide and solution which can never be confused.

hence even DD/MMM/YY (where MMM is text) is confusing in France as June and July both have the same first 3 letters and the reason I support DD/MMMM/YY

I personally love ISO8601 and the YYMMDD format and use it for all my file handling as it means files sort by name into chronological order, but alas europe hates it and so does USA so it will never get adopted.

Computers are not the issue as they are easy to program/control, its people who are the problem.

 

[DeletedUser110179]

DD/MMMM/YY is the only clear solution to stop confusion

Chaos is the fuel for change ... I guess we're heading for one common system of measurement (SI), time keeping and display ... and one language. Even Europe is moving closer towards one country (the EU).

May only has 3 letters

Lol ... too funny 中

 

[DeletedUser110676]

This isn't hard to change at all - as far as forums are concerned anyways.

It all depends on whether admin will do it or not.