Comments on: Human Time Format Gone Wrong

By: Alex Frost

Alex Frost — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:03:55 +0000

Yes maybe it looks a bit incorrect, for huma reading but for programmers its right… As Malmberg noticed in general 1 month is about 4,3 weeks so i suppose when 30 days passed the date format will be >3 month ago<

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:02:08 +0000

I don’t know guys, when i see 2 months 4 weeks my brain says, this is dumb and wrong. i don’t see an issue with rounding up when its that long ago anyway.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:55:47 +0000

Rounding the time elapsed up is incorrect.

When referring to a past event, people tend to say that something happened “at least” two months and four weeks ago (and when the speaker doesn’t specify “at least”, it is assumed by the audience).

Rounding the time period up would lead to factual errors in the most common scenario.

(At least, that’s how things are typically interpreted here in the US. I could see it being an interpretation that varies across cultures.)

By: Månhus » Länksprutning - 30 January 2009

Månhus » Länksprutning - 30 January 2009 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:00:40 +0000

[...] Human Time Format Gone Wrong [...]

By: Jesper Rønn-Jensen

Jesper Rønn-Jensen — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:25:03 +0000

Thanks for comments Malmberg, Human timer, Simon B.

Correct that January is more like 4.3 weeeks it’s not completely incorrect.

My point is, however, that all time calculations in months should not include weeks. 3 months is correct enough in the context. Why would you care that it’s “almost 3 months ago” or “2 months and 4 weeks ago”. No.

The “human time formats” are an appropriate improvement to avoid time calculations like “1 year, 3 minutes and 40 seconds ago”

By: Simon B.

Simon B. — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:27:00 +0000

Since everybody else stole the first part of my planned comment, here’s the other part: …but Jesper is right that “2 months” would most probably have been exact enough. And maybe a mouse hover would reveal the exact date, complete with a calendar view of that particular month to show the relation between then and now…?

By: Human timer

Human timer — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:15:20 +0000

Damn you, shift key!!!

Of course, I meant: 1 month > 4 weeks

By: Human timer

Human timer — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:14:43 +0000

Me neither. 1 month < 4 weeks !

By: Malmberg

Malmberg — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:11:18 +0000

As january has 31 days which is about 4,3 weeks I dont think Jaiku is completely off :-)