Overhype

Overhype

by Carlo Longino




And You Thought The Early Daylight Savings Chaos Had Passed...

from the snooze dept

We all seemed to manage to survive the early daylight savings switch a few weeks ago, despite the predictions of aclockalypse. But, just when you thought everything was okay, you'd better start stockpiling water, canned goods and toilet paper, since older devices might shift an hour ahead on Sunday morning, since it's the old date for the spring forward. So make sure your coffee pot is properly set, and heed the advice of USA Today to double-check those meeting times for a few weeks. Hopefully we'll see everybody safe and sound Monday morning.

36 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Mar 30th, 2007 @ 9:03pm
  • by seriously

    seriously, i missed a couple of meetings because my calendar was all screwed up for the past few weeks. i accidently almost made my assistant cry. damn you energy bill!!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 30th, 2007 @ 10:00pm
    • Re:

      by insomniac4104

      That would make one nasty April fools joke. Lets hope windows patch actually works and wasn't a quick fix. As I understand unix and linux use UTC time so they are in no danger. But as far as Lotus Notes goes I am not confident there "patch" works since it made an entirely new calendar for DST.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

      • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 10:02am
      • DST 2007 redux

        by David Dove

        Folks, Just about ALL servers use UTC time and most workstations have an NTP client installed as part of the OS. I just remediated all of the systems for a branch of Connecticut's state government prior to DST2007. The CLIENT must have the DST patch (which modifies the timezone files - just like Unix) or the CLIENT will misinterpret the date and time. It does not matter which OS the client is running, it is the workstation's responsibility to interpret the data.

        As for the calendar entries, many vendors (including Microsoft) provided "rebasing" tools. Microsoft's tool was a joke since it required you to have dedicated workstations with priv'd access cycle through EVERY user's mailbox. My first run for 2000 people took over 12 hours. The performance of the tool improved one week before DST2007 but by that point it was too little too late.

        (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

      • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 8:59pm
      • Their vs There

        by Zach

        Please, you illiterate bastards, stop posting comments if you cannot understand the difference between "there" and "their". Go back to school.

        (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

        • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 8:05pm
        • Re: Their vs There

          by Zach is a wack

          For the umpteenth time all you anal spell and grammar checkers need to stop using this blog to make yourselves feel better about your useless ability to point out faults in the writings of other people. We dont tease you about your inability to mate with the opposite sex.

          (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

        • Apr 2nd, 2007 @ 7:17am
        • Relax... don't do it.

          I don't like it either (loose/lose, their/they're/there, to/too and don't get me started on the misuse of the apostrophe)... but if bad grammar offends you that much then you are in the wrong place.

          For some, English is a second language. Others type faster than their brains can catch up or can't be bothered to preview/proofread. Still others don't care. And AFAICS there is no "edit" option even if they wanted to fix things afterwards.

          It's a whole new frontier; no place for the thin-skinned. Relax...

          (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

        Apr 1st, 2007 @ 9:45pm
      • Re: Lotus Notes

        by Craig

        Yeah. I missed a conference call the week after the DST change because of Lotus Notes not updated correctly. Oh how I can't wait when we switch to Exchange!!

        (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

      Mar 31st, 2007 @ 5:28pm
    • Re:

      by Anonymous Coward

      same my laptop has kept changing back a hour and just out of pure lazyness i have not told it not to update its self

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 2:33pm
    • Re:

      by UrbanSage

      Way to blame someone else for your shitty morals.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Mar 30th, 2007 @ 10:24pm
  • UTC

    by Lawrence D'Oliveiro

    It's not just that Linux and Unix use UTC time, but that they have a systemwide timezone database (zoneinfo) that (nearly) all apps use, instead of inventing their own systems for keeping track of timezones and daylight saving. Thus, a single update to this database is generally enough to get your apps to work with the updated rules.

    Also, it's very easy to test the rules, using standard tools like the date command, to ensure that they're correct beforehand.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 12:24am
  • by EdB

    Oh good. I live in a state that doesn't do that stupid stuff, but my damned computer insists on shifting an hour every time I turn it back on. Since that only happens a couple of times a week I'm still falling for "wow it's late". So maybe tomorrow the stupid box will fall back in line and trust me when I tell it what time it is.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 6:41am
  • internet time servers

    by simon

    even since windows xp, there is a time synchronization of the system to 1 of the 2 time server existent, which, if u set correct time zone on pc problem should be fixed only on the time servers, pretty easy job, but if pc is not connected to internet, or time synchronization is not enabled, all you need is to correct time yourself in the morning after pc will push time ahead 1 hour, since is programed to do so.

    for win 2000 and early windows systems, users should check out and change system time (really easy job) but again, people this days, tend to let them selfs controlled by technology, and not vice-versa...

    ps. just trust better the wrist watch you carry or just use this problem as argument on being late on meetings

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 9:07am
    • Re: internet time servers

      by Jeeper8788

      the time synchronization only works if its a few minutes off... not if its an hour off

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 2nd, 2007 @ 6:04am
    • Re: internet time servers

      by Araemo

      "even since windows xp, there is a time synchronization of the system to 1 of the 2 time server existent, which, if u set correct time zone on pc problem should be fixed only on the time servers, pretty easy job, but if pc is not connected to internet, or time synchronization is not enabled, all you need is to correct time yourself in the morning after pc will push time ahead 1 hour, since is programed to do so."

      3 things:
      1: There are many more than 2 time servers. Windows only has two listed(you can type in any time server you know of though.)
      2: The time servers distribute time in UTC. Your computer then converts that to your local time based on the timezone info, which on windows XP, requires a patch(that has been out since November, and shows up on windows update if you don't have it) to correctly adjust for daylight savings time 3 weeks early this year.
      3: Microsoft has released info on how to fix the timezone info on windows 2000, and once you follow microsoft's instructions, windows 2000 will update for daylight savings time correctly.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

      • Apr 2nd, 2007 @ 6:30am
      • That also presupposes....

        by FH

        that one has administrator access to the system otherwise changing the time is not accessable.

        As to anal spell checker folks.... (I love it when you talk dirty) last I looked there (or is it their?) thar aint no dam spel chek on this hyar applicashun!@

        (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Mar 31st, 2007 @ 9:43am
  • #6 Simon

    by Aware

    Your English is so bad, your post makes no sense. If you're so tech savvy, install and USE a spell checker...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 10:17am
  • Freebasing?

    I just left my old samsung i700 alone. Didn't patch it or do anything. So now it is an hour behind, but soon eveything will be ok. Until the fall, where three weeks will be F'd up because of the time change. Why bother to upgrade the phone when its charging system won't make it through the month?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 1:33pm
  • by Sohrab

    I think were all going to die

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 6:09pm
  • by Anonymous Coward

    The children!! Someone please think of the children!!!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 9:34pm
  • by Anonymous Coward

    Zack, please spell your name right. Your going to make your mom cry.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 31st, 2007 @ 9:51pm
  • Re:

    by |333173|3|_||3

    Zach can be a correct spelling, as in short for Zachary. It's his name, not yours, so leave his spelling alone. He can spell it how he likes.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 6:13am
  • Time

    by junglejim0745

    Does anyone really know what time it is?? LOL

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 6:58pm
    • Re: Time

      by rawheiser

      And the lyric continues ... does anyone really care?

      how about ditching the whole thing, and just get up an hour earlier/later as the season demands?

      adjust your schedule and not the clock.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Apr 1st, 2007 @ 11:15am
  • THank God I live in arizona!

    by William

    I am so happy id ont have to play the clock game! I used to Live In Lousianna and hated the switch! I hope the law makers of out state dont start daylight savings time.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 5:45pm
  • Does any of this actually matter

    I'm curious if the costs will ever outway the benefits. Farmers wake up at sun-rise regardless of when we say sun-rise is. There may be some energy savings for companies that don't turn their lights on, but the costs have been tremendous to get us to where we are and of the savings don't materialize then its been a good waste of our nations resources. Thanks G-dub

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 6:56pm
    • Re: Does any of this actually matter

      by Anonymous Coward

      What the hell does the president have to do with acts of congress? Congress did this dumb shit to us, not the president.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 2nd, 2007 @ 5:23pm
    • Re: Does any of this actually matter

      by Anonymous Coward

      That is the whole point, this is a test. If the change doesn't save enough energy and/or it is too annoying then we will go back to the old schedule.

      Personally I hope we keep this new schedule. I live far enough north that during the winter the sun sets before I leave work. It is so NICE to go home in the evening and still have some daylight left.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Apr 1st, 2007 @ 6:51pm
  • by Capt. Kirk

    "But scotty,,,,, How soon can you fix it?"

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 7:30pm
  • Blackberry jumped ahead

    by CB

    My girlfriend woke me up an hour early this morning as the blackberry pearl she got for Christmas sprung ahead an hour.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 1st, 2007 @ 7:36pm
  • by Pete

    For the record, windows also uses UTC. You can also specify any number of time servers to sync with. If your mahcine still won't set itself properly, allow windows update to run. And for those of you too cheap to buy a legit copy of windows(cant really blame ya though), update the registry yourself.
    So quit complaining because you are too lazy to fix it.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 2nd, 2007 @ 5:00am
  • by angry hoosier

    For 35 years we in Indiana didn't have to even care about this idiotic nonsense of pretending one day is 25 hours long and another is 23 hours long just because every other dimwit state thinks it's a good idea.

    God only knows what they are hoping to achieve because in today's air-conditioned society I can guarantee you that it doesn't save any energy. Everyone leaves their efficiently cooled offices and fires up their inefficient home air conditioners.

    Thanks to our brain-dead governor we are stuck with this bs. Oh well, I guess the Indiana Republicans don't need my vote anymore. I'm a morning person and I hate it.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 2nd, 2007 @ 6:50am
  • by Sherman T. Potter

    As far as why we did this early DST shananagins...

    ...when you become a colonel, they take the bone out of your head that makes you explain orders.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 2nd, 2007 @ 7:53am
  • by rEdEyEz

    Luddite buffoons, my trusty Windows Sundial 1.0 has never failed me!
    ...but I'm running out of the prerequisite feral felines to offer up in sacrifice...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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