Author Topic: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone  (Read 25941 times)

Offline Zyem

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Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« on: October 05, 2013, 06:35:49 am »
Guns of Icarus Online has a very international community though naturally, a large proportion are located in America. This means that most events are stated in EST time (as the organisers tend to be American).

This has caught at least 2 clans out on 2 separate occassions because the time was stated in EST but was really referring to current local time of the organiser.. which was EDT! So when the time was converted to the participants local time.. it was wrong by an hour. Cue last minute chaos as the event happens an hour before expected..

So, could event organisers please consider at least adding the UTC time to the event information, if not making it the primary way of stating the time? This way, it won't be silently affected by DST (the UTC time would explicitly change) and removes a lot of potential confusion and mistakes.

Thanks for you time! :)

Offline Squash

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2013, 07:14:16 am »
I massively agree with this, this is vitally important. Many a prearranged meeting has been confused due to time zone misunderstandings. I suggest event organizers use the following link when organizing matches.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Offline RearAdmiralZill

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2013, 08:51:46 am »
+1

A few of my international members have asked me to do it for organizing just ourselves. Would be nice for organizers to add it too.

Offline Alistair MacBain

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2013, 09:00:11 am »
Sign.

Offline Swallox

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2013, 10:48:34 am »
The funny thing is: I set the time for the Cogs at 4pm EST due to it translating into that... But every time I think of when the Cogs are due to start, I forget the time in GMT. (Curse you DST!)

It really would be helpful to add multiple timezones into the mix... Preferably by someone who can handle them without wanting to punch holes in walls.

Offline Skrimskraw

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2013, 07:43:36 pm »
write est, cet and utc timezone for every event.

Offline Imagine

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2013, 08:22:38 pm »
Ok, seriously, what the hell is CET and UTC.

Offline DMaximus

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2013, 08:27:04 pm »
Ok, seriously, what the hell is CET and UTC.

UTC is basically GMT. CET is UTC + 1.

Offline Imagine

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2013, 08:35:30 pm »
Ok, seriously, what the hell is CET and UTC.

UTC is basically GMT. CET is UTC + 1.
Why would you want/need both of those, then?

Offline Piemanlives

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2013, 12:22:26 am »
Ok, seriously, what the hell is CET and UTC.

UTC is basically GMT. CET is UTC + 1.
Why would you want/need both of those, then?

UTC is mostly used as a base line, CET gives our European players a frame of reference.

Offline Sammy B. T.

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2013, 05:28:19 am »
write est, cet and utc timezone for every event.

Actually est is the issue. When most people say est they are actually thinking edt.

Offline Gryphos

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #11 on: October 06, 2013, 06:46:39 am »
I swear daylight savings cause more annoyance than good.

Offline Squidslinger Gilder

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2013, 07:16:01 am »
I swear daylight savings cause more annoyance than good.

Yeah it ruins my sleeping in when things change over. Blasted scheming farmers ;D.

As long as there is a converter around then go ahead. UTC/etc isn't used in the US but we also have a bunch of players in Europe where they do. Doesn't bother me.

Offline Zyem

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #13 on: October 06, 2013, 10:23:25 am »
As long as there is a converter around then go ahead. UTC/etc isn't used in the US but we also have a bunch of players in Europe where they do. Doesn't bother me.
You have to be careful with converters too. Some automatically change EST selections to EDT when DST is in effect, but others don't. If you happen to be in an EST offset location that doesn't observe DST, you could end up with a UTC time that is still off by an hour.

Fun times :)

If anyone is having issues or doubts, you are welcome to message me and I will figure out/confirm the UTC time for the events for you.

Offline B'Elanna

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Re: Organisers: Please consider using UTC timezone
« Reply #14 on: October 06, 2013, 10:41:25 am »
Uhm! GOOD IDEA... yesh...

i.. don't feel like this thread got started because i messed up. i don't feel like this thread got started because i messed up. i don't feel like this thread got started because i messed up. i don't feel like this thread got started because i messed up. i don't feel like this thread got started because i messed up.