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New Time Format
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,054
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Solved Threads: 130
Dave,
I think that from a community point of view, relative times make more sense within the forum system.
However, I think that absolute times have their place in news feeds and in the printable view and pages meant to have more permanence.
Regarding the who's online page ... it auto-refreshes every 60 seconds automatically.
While you might find absolute time more convenient, you have to agree that for unregistered users, which account for 85% of our website traffic, will all see the WRONG times (anyone out of the EST time zone at least) ... and the wrong absolute times are worse than the correct relative time ... all the time.
So, the bottom line is that it simply makes more sense to provide something that is correct to 100% of the users (convenience being irrelevant as long as the data is at least correct) as opposed to something that is wrong for 85%, more convenient for 10%, and inconveniences 5% (of which you're one).
The 85% is a true statistic ... the 10% and 5% breakdown I just made up but the point is that from the responses in this thread, more people like the change than don't.
I also think that a lot of other websites are sharing my opinion in this. I actually initially got the idea from Digg, who also uses relative times, and they're a news source!
The only thing that I do have to say is that while the forum printable versions do use absolute times, I'm having a problem getting the blogs and code snippets to do the same, but that is a bug which I'm working on.
So while I do think absolute times have their place, I feel that they are more for news aggregators and stuff of that sort, because, for the most part, leaving and coming back to the site hours later just isn't the way most people interact with online communities and forum systems.
I think that from a community point of view, relative times make more sense within the forum system.
However, I think that absolute times have their place in news feeds and in the printable view and pages meant to have more permanence.
Regarding the who's online page ... it auto-refreshes every 60 seconds automatically.
While you might find absolute time more convenient, you have to agree that for unregistered users, which account for 85% of our website traffic, will all see the WRONG times (anyone out of the EST time zone at least) ... and the wrong absolute times are worse than the correct relative time ... all the time.
So, the bottom line is that it simply makes more sense to provide something that is correct to 100% of the users (convenience being irrelevant as long as the data is at least correct) as opposed to something that is wrong for 85%, more convenient for 10%, and inconveniences 5% (of which you're one).
The 85% is a true statistic ... the 10% and 5% breakdown I just made up but the point is that from the responses in this thread, more people like the change than don't.
I also think that a lot of other websites are sharing my opinion in this. I actually initially got the idea from Digg, who also uses relative times, and they're a news source!
The only thing that I do have to say is that while the forum printable versions do use absolute times, I'm having a problem getting the blogs and code snippets to do the same, but that is a bug which I'm working on.
So while I do think absolute times have their place, I feel that they are more for news aggregators and stuff of that sort, because, for the most part, leaving and coming back to the site hours later just isn't the way most people interact with online communities and forum systems.
Dani the Computer Science Gal 
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,443
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Originally Posted by cscgal 
However, I think that absolute times have their place in news feeds and in the printable view and pages meant to have more permanence.
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Originally Posted by cscgal
Regarding the who's online page ... it auto-refreshes every 60 seconds automatically.
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Originally Posted by cscgal
While you might find absolute time more convenient, you have to agree that for unregistered users, which account for 85% of our website traffic, will all see the WRONG times (anyone out of the EST time zone at least) ... and the wrong absolute times are worse than the correct relative time ... all the time.
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Originally Posted by cscgal
So, the bottom line is that it simply makes more sense to provide something that is correct to 100% of the users (convenience being irrelevant as long as the data is at least correct) as opposed to something that is wrong for 85%, more convenient for 10%, and inconveniences 5% (of which you're one).
The 85% is a true statistic ... the 10% and 5% breakdown I just made up but the point is that from the responses in this thread, more people like the change than don't.
I also think that a lot of other websites are sharing my opinion in this. I actually initially got the idea from Digg, who also uses relative times, and they're a news source!
Last edited by Dave Sinkula; Feb 9th, 2007 at 2:26 am.
"One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary." --Ayn Rand
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,443
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 250
3769 posters since 2006-01-01 with 5 or more posts != 148,181 Members
:= 144412+ need this
???
:= 144412+ need this
???
Last edited by Dave Sinkula; Feb 9th, 2007 at 3:05 am.
"One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary." --Ayn Rand
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,054
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 130
Remember, all regular members start off as guests once upon a time. They don't matter more but I do need to do all I can to make DaniWeb interesting enough for them to join.
And it's not as if the change to the time has made it worse for all of the regulars. You seem to be the only one who doesn't like it.
And it's not as if the change to the time has made it worse for all of the regulars. You seem to be the only one who doesn't like it.
Dani the Computer Science Gal
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,443
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 250
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Originally Posted by cscgal
Remember, all regular members start off as guests once upon a time. They don't matter more but I do need to do all I can to make DaniWeb interesting enough for them to join.
And it's not as if the change to the time has made it worse for all of the regulars. You seem to be the only one who doesn't like it.
I guess my computer just sucks. Perhaps you should post your minimum requirements for browsing this site? ::some smilie::
Point lost, again, I'll cower away. Again.
"One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary." --Ayn Rand
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,054
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 130
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Originally Posted by Dave Sinkula
3769 posters since 2006-01-01 with 5 or more posts != 148,181 Members
:= 144412+ need this
???
Dani the Computer Science Gal
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
Follow my Twitter feed! twitter.com/DaniWeb
And if you're interested in Internet marketing there is twitter.com/DaniWebAds
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,193
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Originally Posted by cscgal
Didja like how I even cited you in my example? LOL
Davey Winder
Information Security Journalist of the Year
www.happygeek.com
Follow me on Twitter: @happygeek
Information Security Journalist of the Year
www.happygeek.com
Follow me on Twitter: @happygeek
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Originally Posted by cscgal
It would be one thing if this were a change which helped guests and hurt all regular members. But, based on this thread at least, you're the only one who doesn't love the new format.
)In the edit note, the stamp says something like "Edited 3 minutes ago at 9:15", so give us both! Just add "at [time]" after the new format. IOW, complete the change because both forms are useful.
Last edited by WaltP; Feb 10th, 2007 at 3:03 am.
The 3 Laws of the Procrastination Society:
1) Never do today that which can be put off until tomorrow
2) Tomorrow never comes
1) Never do today that which can be put off until tomorrow
2) Tomorrow never comes
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Originally Posted by WaltP
In the edit note, the stamp says something like "Edited 3 minutes ago at 9:15", so give us both! Just add "at [time]" after the new format. IOW, complete the change because both forms are useful.
If the time is currently 23:54 and the last post was 1 Day Ago, I would really like to know whether the post was 12:02AM (2 days) or 11:59PM (1 day). And 1 week ago is totally worthless.
I don't mind the AGO info, but I do want some detail...
The 3 Laws of the Procrastination Society:
1) Never do today that which can be put off until tomorrow
2) Tomorrow never comes
1) Never do today that which can be put off until tomorrow
2) Tomorrow never comes
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