(European) date format

[+Mrs Often]

I was wondering if it would be possible to add a feature to customise how the date is shown. Currently the date on the geocaching.com/my page at the top right (next to the avatar) shows month/day, but for Europeans this is extremely confusing. I've been reading first of January automatically every time I see my startdate while the actual date is seventh of July. Also the "date hidden" listed at the top of each cache listings is in an American format.

 

Would it be possible to add a custom format feature? Or perhaps even make the date format change automatically according to home location?

[+ivanidea]

I second this request.

 

Ivan

[+teamhillside]

Thirded on the basis of the length of this list:-

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_format#d...onth.2C_year.29

 

versus this list

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_format#m..._day.2C_year.29

 

Though of course, we must respect the might of the Federated States of Micronesia to impose their illogical date sequencing on worldwide audiences

 

Matt

[+rutson]

Fourthed though this has been brought up MANY times and I wish TPTB would realise just how confusing this is. I don't really understand why making it a user option hasn't happened :-(

[+searchjaunt]

A date based on the home location would be nice indeed

[Mushtang]

I've been reading first of January automatically every time I see my startdate while the actual date is seventh of July.

I'm confused. You've been reading 1/1 when the actual date should read 7/7?

[+adsandco]

yes please

[+Wintonian]

I have never understood why someone in the mists of time decided to create such a silly backword system unless it was ment to confuse.

 

In other words - I agree.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Hampshire_Hog

[+Shilo]

As a American I like it as is.

 

A US website owned by a US company it should be the the US does things. If you really want to go further the satellites the world uses to play this game, hobby, sport, etc I helped pay for 39 years. Why should a US run company conform to the world?

 

I play a Air simulation game based in Sweden and everything is done in metric and European date format and not I or one other American complain about the change. We just learn to deal with it. Just as you should....

 

Blast me as you wish...thats my opinion(the fed gov't hasn't taken that from me yet) and 2 cents worth

[+Kryten]

Twenty years ago European commercial organisations were rejecting software which enforced MMDDYY date formatting as "not fit for purpose", until the vendors eventually learned. It's astounding to see that the problem still exists. We all pay the same money but we don't get the same service.

 

If localising the software on a indivdual basis is too complex and a single date representation format has to be used, it should be one which is intenationally accepted. The imposition of MMDDYY is nothing more than cultural imperialism.

[GOF and Bacall]

Twenty years ago European commercial organisations were rejecting software which enforced MMDDYY date formatting as "not fit for purpose", until the vendors eventually learned. It's astounding to see that the problem still exists. We all pay the same money but we don't get the same service.

 

If localising the software on a indivdual basis is too complex and a single date representation format has to be used, it should be one which is intenationally accepted. The imposition of MMDDYY is nothing more than cultural imperialism.

 

Cultural Imperialism? Give me a break! The people who built the site used the format they were familiar with. The same system they used in their every day life. You make it out like it is an intentional attempt to force you to change all your calendars and rename your dog.

[+dakboy]

As a American I like it as is.

As an American and a software developer, I'd perfer to see people get a choice. Or even have it done for them automatically based upon their locale settings reported to the server by the browser.

 

The .NET framework makes localization like this fairly easy, if you've planned ahead for it.

 

A US website owned by a US company it should be the the US does things.

It's a global game.

 

Why should a US run company conform to the world?

 

I play a Air simulation game based in Sweden and everything is done in metric and European date format and not I or one other American complain about the change. We just learn to deal with it. Just as you should....

The US is a minority in using non-metric units and its date format. Why should 4 billion people be forced to bend to the preferences of 300 million?

[+rutson]

Surely no-one can successfully argue that it wouldn't be better for people to be able to see dates in a format they understand?

[GOF and Bacall]

Surely no-one can successfully argue that it wouldn't be better for people to be able to see dates in a format they understand?

 

The request is not unreasonable. But the name calling is unnecessary. Some, on both sides, act like it was a declaration of war. It's a date on a games website. The nukes aren't going to go off over it. If TPTB can program an acceptable change fine. I sure think there are bigger problems with the site though.

[geode hunter]

 

The US is a minority in using non-metric units and its date format. Why should 4 billion people be forced to bend to the preferences of 300 million?

 

I think the site should be translated into Mandarin as well. it is the language of the majority after all, is it not?

 

Maybe Obama will takeover Groundspeak and apologize to the Mandarin speaking people of the world and demand the changes

[geode hunter]

All that being said.... We have choices of imperial or metric units and time zones in the " Manage Account Preferences" and coordinates formats can be changed.

 

It would not seem to to be impossible to add individual choices for preferred date and time formats. Just don't change the whole site!

[+Kryten]

"Cultural Imperialism? Give me a break! The people who built the site used the format they were familiar with. The same system they used in their every day life.

 

Yup, this is called hobby code.

 

If the TPTB recoded the site to use the DDMMYY format this form would go into meltdown with justified complaints from users in the USA. Not being able to read the dates easily doesn't seem like a big issue until it's happening to you. It's even more of a pain when it's been going on for years.

[toczygroszek]

yes, please, this is good idea

[+dakboy]

"Cultural Imperialism? Give me a break! The people who built the site used the format they were familiar with. The same system they used in their every day life.

 

Yup, this is called hobby code.

It stopped being "hobby code" when Groundspeak became a for-profit company and people started paying to use the site.

 

If the TPTB recoded the site to use the DDMMYY format this form would go into meltdown with justified complaints from users in the USA. Not being able to read the dates easily doesn't seem like a big issue until it's happening to you. It's even more of a pain when it's been going on for years.

See my post above, and a few others. Let people choose the date format they see. In the back end, it should all be stored as date variable types/objects and not strings, so formatting based upon user preference can be done via the localization functionality in the .NET Framework the website is built on - if it's coded properly, it's not a big deal to make this change.

[Elias]

Some of these posts are getting a little out of hand so I'm going to close this thread.

 

Customizing the date format is a high priority feature on our task list. I can't make any indications as to when it'll be on the site, but it is toward the top of our list.

 

Elias