Why do Americans write their dates down backwards?

[spinFX]

We should make fun of Fahrenheit as well. It makes no sense. Celsius just makes sense. Freezing water temp = 0 degrees Celsius. Boiling water temp = 100 degrees Celsius. So simple!

And yeah, the most significant date should be first ie; the day of the month. How stupid do you need to be to be reminded of the month first? Especially when you are already in that month.

 

[Berethond]

Americans do a lot of shit backwards for no apparent reason.

Seriously, why are we the only country that drives on the right side of the road, write dates month, day, year and don't use the metric system?

Actually the British and affiliated colonies (and japan) are the only people who drive on the left.

http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/images/driving%20on%20the%20left.gif

 

[fanklok]

Hey guys fun fact about everyone else driving on the left hand side of the road, waay back before anyone knew about america and armor was made out of metal and soldiers where on horseback most people were right handed and would ride on the left side making it easier to slash at one another then they never changed it

america always had guns so there was no need to use swords, plus we have to be different from those Brits how dare they levy taxes and force us to buy tea

No way we're America and we're right you write your dates backwards, the rest of the world should speak english and use a silly form of measurement that makes no logical sense

 

[ekimekim]

Speaking as a programmer and other things computer-y, I want to compare the debate to something called Endianness.

Basically (and dumbed-down), an Intel computer (current standard for all PC, Mac, whatever) would store a number like one-hundred-and-twenty-three as 321. This is called big-endian. It makes things easier for computer programs doing loops, amoung other things.

Humans would write the same number as 123. This is called little-endian. It has it's own advantages but chiefly that it's more human-readable. All network traffic uses these sorts of numbers.

Now, in comparison. DD-MM-YYYY is little-endian. MM-DD-YYYY isn't EITHER. It makes no sense whatsoever!


As a separate point, it would really suck to be a scientist that grew up in america - all the SI units - which you pretty much HAVE to use - wouldn't make ANY sense.

 

[Wolvaroo]

Writting the dates is VERY IMPORTANT to be globaly understood. Sure someone from another country could read 01/15/99 easily, but something like 04/05/10 could really go either way. Here in Canada DD/MM/YY AND MM/DD/YY are both common and accepted, which creates enormous problems for us. Also we write it in all 3 main ways: dd.mm.yy DD/MM/YY dd,mm,yy.

I personaly use YYYY-MM-DD because it's the most practical. FACT.

 

[Contun]

04/06/10
April Sixth, 2010

We write it eactly how you would say it. It makes perfect sense to me...

I honestly don't know how you can even look yourselves in the mirror

It helps when you're a dashing rogue such as myself.
[sub][small]That was sarcasm in case you didn't catch it...[/small][/sub]

 

[ninjajoeman]

wait how is ours backwards...

 

[Snotnarok]

Same reason we call our measurement system Standard, because we like being wrong.

Jokes aside, I dunno, everything seems to be done with a certain amount of stupid no matter where you are.

 

[Mumorpuger]

04/06/10
April Sixth, 2010
We write it eactly how you would say it. It makes perfect sense to me...

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

[Cody211282]

Because we are America and we can, deal with it

 

[tbbrownah]

Why do we write our dates backwards?
Why do you Brits drive on the WRONG side of the road?

Okay, okay. I'm kidding. For the record, I'm an American and I write my dates dd/mm/yyyy. And there's no wrong side to the road. For all we know, the U.K. might have it right when everyone else is wrong.

It's all just relative.

 

[Fr331anc3r]

I'm american and i've never made fun of anyone for spelling color "colour". It doesn't matter to me. As for the dates i don't know what to say that's just what they teach in school.

It is so more eloquent looking when spelled colour and behaviour and what have you.

 

[ZephrC]

I don't really care one way or the other about most of the spelling things. Like the extra Us. No biggy. Grey instead of Gray. That's fine. But the way the English spell jail is the twisted work of a depraved mind.

As for the month day year or day month year thing... Who really cares? I suppose technically day month year makes more sense, but it's completely unimportant. It's far more annoying that there are differences at all, which system actually gets used is unimportant. I say we all just start using year month day. That way we don't even have to argue over who was "right" about something that never mattered in the first place.

I do grant that the metric system is far superior to the old British imperial system we seem to be stuck with. I'd like to see America finally give up on this nonsense, but it won't happen any time soon.

And of course, as many people have already pointed out, most of the world drives on the right side of the road. It's mostly just Australia and island nations that are backwards.

 

[Viptorian]

[small](insert your text here about us having lost against both of you in the past ^^)[/small]

Twice!

 

[hereforthehellofit]

The correct side of the road on which to drive a car is a question of ergonomics.

Since the gear lever is for mechanical reasons placed in the centre of the car, It will be operated by the left hand of those that drive on the left and by the right hand for those that drive on the right.

At certain times whilst driving it may be necessary to operate both the steering wheel and the gear lever simultaneously, the side on which we drive should be dictated by which operation requires greater precision.

As the majority of the population are right handed:

If the wheel requires greater precision we should drive on the left,
If the gear lever requires greater precision we should drive on the right.

Assuming of course, that the driver is seated furthest from the kurb, so as to facilitate easier overtaking.

 

[PunkyMcGee]

we Americans drive on the correct side of the road (we invented the car so we get to make the rules)

Karl Benz was German, not American, and we Britons have been travelling on the correct side of the road since the Roman Empire.

yes i know i researched it first i was using sarcasm, a caricature of American ignorance if you will. i just forgot to explain that. and what side of the road dose Germany AND Italy drive on? that's right, its the right.

 

[Fappy]

Americans do a lot of shit backwards for no apparent reason.

Seriously, why are we the only country that drives on the right side of the road, write dates month, day, year and don't use the metric system?

I agree with the metric system bit, but the right side of the road is the right side of the road, because its the right side of the road. Its true.

 

[linkblade91]

You're asking why America has stupid customs?
The real question isn't why we use that method for dates; the REAL question is why we haven't adopted the metric system!

 

[Deef]

Americans do a lot of shit backwards for no apparent reason.

Seriously, why are we the only country that drives on the right side of the road, write dates month, day, year and don't use the metric system?

We drive on the right side of the road in Canada too, if that makes you feel any better.

 

[Vern]

I was just wondering because Americans always say the UK is stupid for spelling things like 'colour' in that way. I actually agree because there is no need for the 'u'. but then I was like wtf hypocrisy! they put the dates in the most stupid order: month,day,year! I honestly don't know how you can even look yourselves in the mirror

I've always figured it sounds more natural. Most people would say today is April sixth, 2010. Not the sixth of April, 2010. So I would write it as 04 06 2010. There's something to say as to the logical reason of going from day to month to year as far as increasing numbers and lengths of time, but in conversation generally people will say the month before the day, at least in the US.