Why do Americans do the date differently?

[Tilted_Logic]

It's funny how often people call for tolerance and acceptance until it's something the US does differently then Europe.

I completely understand the point you're trying to make, but I think you're missing the bigger picture.

We're not saying 'America does it wrong' just because they're different from Europe/Canada etc. It's simply the fact American media is EVERYWHERE these days, and having dates written differently depending on the place of origin makes things ridiculously confusing.

It's not simply a matter of us disliking something because it's American, it's us (or at least myself) disliking it because of how difficult it tends to make things.

Why do you other counties obsess about it? I don't start bitching that you drive on the left side of the road, which makes no sense!

See above.

It's something to complain about because it makes it nigh impossible to differentiate between the 8th of March and the 3rd of August if you don't know the country of origin.

 

[manaman]

It's funny how often people call for tolerance and acceptance until it's something the US does differently then Europe.

I completely understand the point you're trying to make, but I think you're missing the bigger picture.

We're not saying 'America does it wrong' just because they're different from Europe/Canada etc. It's simply the fact American media is EVERYWHERE these days, and having dates written differently depending on the place of origin makes things ridiculously confusing.

It's not simply a matter of us disliking something because it's American, it's us (or at least myself) disliking it because of how difficult it tends to make things.

You might not consider it wrong yourself, but go back and reread the thread. I was generalizing based on a number of comments up to that point berating the US simply for being different.

I understand fully that the people calling for acceptance in other places might not be the same people posting in this thread, but it was the total lack of the "that's just the way they do it" opinion that really got me.

Normally I avoid these threads like the plague because of how trendy it is of late to call question to everything the US does.

 

[Rockchimp69]

Why do you other counties obsess about it? I don't start bitching that you drive on the left side of the road, which makes no sense!

Any who I like our system it just sound right despite it being weird, maybe because I grew up with it.

No one's bitching.

And what's the actual difference between driving on the left and right? Weird just means it's different to you.

 

[Rockchimp69]

Can some American escapists tell me why you guys do the date like this : month/day/year
instead of in order like this: day/month/year?
(I would have just google'd this but its better to get a wider range of answers and I wouldn't know how to phrase the question)

They left England for a reason, perhaps it was due to spite or an attempt to separate themselves from their past oppressors and yada yada.

That wasn't the question but I think it was too find new lands of wealth and build a brighter future for themselves. Which I guess you can say worked since you're now a superpower.

Judging by the comment I assume he's not american. Nor am I.

How do you figure?

Can some American escapists tell me why you guys do the date like this : month/day/year
instead of in order like this: day/month/year?
(I would have just google'd this but its better to get a wider range of answers and I wouldn't know how to phrase the question)

To me that's saying "Please tell me Americans, because I'm not American."

That and his profile says he's from the UK.

Edit: Hold up, f**k am I talking about it's you. Sorry, didn't notice avatar and it took a profile look to see.

Oh, haha I thought you were talking about the guy who was quoted up there ^

 

[Tilted_Logic]

You might not consider it wrong yourself, but go back and reread the thread. I was generalizing based on a number of comments up that point berating the US for being different. I understand fully that the people calling for acceptance might not be the same people posting in this thread, but it's the total lack of the "that's just the way they do it" opinion that really got me, normally I avoid these threads like the plague because of how trendy it is of late to call question to everything the US does.

Gotcha. A lot of the posts did seem simplistic in the fact they stated something along the lines of "It's America" and left it at that. I assumed with some of the other posts not berating the format simply because it was American that they also had reason for their dislike akin to the fact the month - day - year structure mixed with the format of other countries made things more difficult than they needed to be.

I need to stop assuming things.

 

[Mcupobob]

It's funny how often people call for tolerance and acceptance until it's something the US does differently then Europe.

I completely understand the point you're trying to make, but I think you're missing the bigger picture.

We're not saying 'America does it wrong' just because they're different from Europe/Canada etc. It's simply the fact American media is EVERYWHERE these days, and having dates written differently depending on the place of origin makes things ridiculously confusing.

It's not simply a matter of us disliking something because it's American, it's us (or at least myself) disliking it because of how difficult it tends to make things.

Why do you other counties obsess about it? I don't start bitching that you drive on the left side of the road, which makes no sense!

See above.

It's something to complain about because it makes it nigh impossible to differentiate between the 8th of March and the 3rd of August if you don't know the country of origin.

Well first off didn't really expect anyone to read my comment so late in the game, was just blowing of steam because as one person put "Its been trendy of late to question everything that America does" get tiring. I apologize for getting defensive.

Also its not any of they users on the escapist fault that American Media is everywhere, and the fact that anyone would be annoyed at us because of that seems rather confusing. I also apologize that because of the information age that sometimes cultural barriers happen and it gets confusing. Which apparently is American's fault also too I suppose?

 

[Tilted_Logic]

Well first off didn't really expect anyone to read my comment so late in the game, was just blowing of steam because as one person put "Its been trendy of late to question everything that America does" get tiring. I apologize for getting defensive.

No worries, I guess I was ignoring more of the 'lets hate on America!' posts in favour of those with a reasonable curiosity into why Americans write it like they do.

Also its not any of they users on the escapist fault that American Media is everywhere, and the fact that anyone would be annoyed at us because of that seems rather confusing. I also apologize that because of the information age that sometimes cultural barriers happen and it gets confusing. Which apparently is American fault also too I suppose?

I was trying to come up with an adequate response to that, but it all just resulted in nonsensical rambling. It doesn't matter to me which country is the odd one out, it just happened to be that America is a more prominent voice in the media where I live than any other country that does the date differently. All in all I'm not as bothered by this subject as I'm probably coming off as being; I do wish some sort of compromise or consensus could be reached so that reading old articles with timelines that mattered wouldn't be so confusing, but eh, the world keeps turning.

 

[Akalistos]

Can some American escapists tell me why you guys do the date like this : month/day/year
instead of in order like this: day/month/year?
(I would have just google'd this but its better to get a wider range of answers and I wouldn't know how to phrase the question)

Because they say it and learn it that way?

That's not the reason why the whole of the USA does it like that, that is why individual people do.

Yeah. Your point is? Oh! You don't get it. Well, if something is taught to at least 3 individual and then passed on by 3 more and ect... eventually, it's gonna be massively know with time. This is something that someone had started back in time of old and with time, that concept were pass to every American and Canadian. That's it.

 

[Rockchimp69]

Can some American escapists tell me why you guys do the date like this : month/day/year
instead of in order like this: day/month/year?
(I would have just google'd this but its better to get a wider range of answers and I wouldn't know how to phrase the question)

Because they say it and learn it that way?

That's not the reason why the whole of the USA does it like that, that is why individual people do.

Yeah. Your point is? Oh! You don't get it. Well, if something is taught to at least 3 individual and then passed on by 3 more and ect... eventually, it's gonna be massively know with time. This is something that someone had started back in time of old and with time, that concept were pass to every American and Canadian. That's it.

Don't be condecending, what i meant was that the answer you gave was not the origional reason why The USA uses a different date system.

Can we please let this thread die? It's gone on for too long for a simple question.

 

[Admiral Stukov]

I've been waiting for ages for an oppertunity to post that pic, and got ninja'd.
Well played, sir. Well played.
[sub][sub]Now go die in a fire.[/sub][/sub]

 

[Lector]

Because any other arrangement would make pi day impossible?

Not necessarily. It could be held on the April 31. The d/m/y would still kinda work.

 

[lacktheknack]

Can some American escapists tell me why you guys do the date like this : month/day/year
instead of in order like this: day/month/year?
(I would have just google'd this but its better to get a wider range of answers and I wouldn't know how to phrase the question)

Why do YOU do it differently?

In Canada, it goes either way, which gets annoying.

 

[Scout Tactical]

This is awesome. I'm legit happy that our system is strange now. That graphic is just too cool looking to pass up.

 

[lacktheknack]

it should do big to small or small to big not big small bigger. thats just crazy

So, 12/31/4000000000 is "big/small/bigger"?

 

[Merkavar]

it should do big to small or small to big not big small bigger. thats just crazy

So, 12/31/4000000000 is "big/small/bigger"?

um i guess? not seeing your point though. especially with the 4000000000

big to small = YYYY/MM/DD
small to big = DD/MM/YYYY
big small bigger = MM/DD/YYYY or following your example MM/DD/YYYYYYYYYYYYYY

 

[lacktheknack]

it should do big to small or small to big not big small bigger. thats just crazy

So, 12/31/4000000000 is "big/small/bigger"?

um i guess? not seeing your point though. especially with the 4000000000

big to small = YYYY/MM/DD
small to big = DD/MM/YYYY
big small bigger = MM/DD/YYYY

The problem is, if you take it literally, it doesn't work that way.

There's the fewest months (twelve, small), more days (28-31, medium) and even more years (4000000000, big).

 

[Revenge Revisited]

It's because we Americans say 'May 7th' instead of 'the 7th of May'.

 

[Merkavar]

it should do big to small or small to big not big small bigger. thats just crazy

So, 12/31/4000000000 is "big/small/bigger"?

um i guess? not seeing your point though. especially with the 4000000000

big to small = YYYY/MM/DD
small to big = DD/MM/YYYY
big small bigger = MM/DD/YYYY

The problem is, if you take it literally, it doesn't work that way.

There's the fewest months (twelve, small), more days (28-31, medium) and even more years (4000000000, big).

yeah but what im say is days are shorter than months and months are shorter than years. so small/bigger/biggest.

24 hours in day. 750 ish hours in a month. 800 ish in a year. so again small bigger biggest.

Im not talking about the number of month days and years im talking about their size. like with hours and minutes. hours are bigger than minutes.

 

[RewardMe]

We just do. And to send it right back at ya, why do all of you Europeans and Asians drive on the left side of the road, huh? That's so silly.

Nah, just England and Japan. Two isolated islands. =P

England isn't an island it's a country along with Scotland and Wales that make up the island of great britain which contains numerous small islands as well.

Japan is several thousand islands not just one. I'm not attacking you just letting you know

*sigh* Two isolated archipelagos. Better? They also both have an odd predilection towards calling undergarments "pants".

We just do. And to send it right back at ya, why do all of you Europeans and Asians drive on the left side of the road, huh? That's so silly.

Nah, just England and Japan. Two isolated islands. =P

Actually driving on the left was how it was done originally. It was a system invented by the Romans and the whole of Europe was using it up until Napoleon decided that everyone should drive on the right. So really we're right, you're wrong, again.

Terribly intriguing, old chap, but you haven't clarified what else you're "right" about. Sticking unnatural letters into words and calling it classy certainly isn't "right". (Napoleon, eh? Sure was a looong time ago, wasn't it?)
God bless the Englanders. If they're not adding cosmetic changes to something and retroactively claiming it's correct, or losing half the world in one fell/prolonged swoop, they're keeping traditions the rest of the world gave up and claiming superiority for it. Must be nice to live in a little soap bubble while the rest of the world has to share borders with things.

Wtf? Did your girlfriend leave you for an English bloke or something? You seem to have a rather large chip on your soldier. I think it's cute that your perception of England is out of date by about 100 years but, you really shouldn't display your ignorance so openly.

Ah, sorry, governor. Allow me to do the more more acceptable thing:
Gaw! America! Those Yanks are their differences from us! What uneducated tobbyrot! *monocle*

Have you ever been to England?

Have you ever been to America?

I have actually, I spent a couple of weeks in NYC. I just find it ironic that in trying to beat the dead horse that is the British stereotype (and if I am honest, it is only the Americans that continue to beat that poor horse), you became the embodiment of the ignorant American stereotype.

Ah what a coincidence. I see you on a message board whining about American dating systems. I think you might have your top hat on too tight, because it seems dripping irony is yet another thing Englanders like to claim as their own that another civilization created. (And you succeed, I'll admit.)

Sorry, man. I'm not going to bow down and apologize for my birthplace just because you wounded lions still think we somehow care enough to defy you because your ancestors had a tenuous hold on us a century or two ago. It just feeds the unhealthy complex you guys seem to have. I have no problem with you guys being a shell of an empire with your claws clutching for dear life at the closest island you have left, but I think it's about time your bunch dropped the 'tude and joined the rest of the world.

Okey.....Next step is for you to find where I insulted your dating system, where I said that irony is something only English people are allowed to do, where I said I care whether or not the USA is a British colony, where I said I think Britain has an empire and where I said we engaged in some sort of ancestor worship.

I mean geez man, even the OP stated he was only curious. Granted, there was a couple of posters who displayed some anti-American attitudes, but do you really think that they represent an entire country? Just because you have demonstrated yourself to be ignorant does not mean I think all Americans are ignorant.

So basically you say you had no interest in adding anything relevant to this thread? Ah, so you just saw some America-bashing and wanted to get in on it. Gotcha. Honestly now... like I said, drop the "poor us against the savage world" act. Just because you don't have a monocle to drop or a teacup to drop it in doesn't mean the average Ingle has changed any in the last few centuries; all this belly-aching over Americans' garish misuse of your language and customs shows the ol' British lack of adaptability and superiority complex in full swing.

Okey...Now your next step...again, is to find where I bashed Americans. I saw you bashing English people and stepped in.

You do seem to have this habit of making up scenarios in your head....

You're a good guy, mate. A proper englishman. But ya can't win a argument with a guy who has the mentality of a twelve year old. Fuck him.

 

[TheProfessor134]

Because any other arrangement would make pi day impossible?

This.. And mole day too! :3