For example, I use to stay for long periods in a Central American country and also have a lot of relationship with USA business, then every time I have to read or write a date in number format, I have to think slowly before knowing what date the writer is talking about or me, what type of format should I use if I want the receiver understand clearly the date.
I've found very old articles or comments or pictures, where the author just wrote 6/8/76. Is that June 8, or 6 August, both, of course 1976? This could mean a lot.
So, given the above, and knowing that Google is in a position that a suggestion or change from them millions of people will adapt to it very easily, and hopeful that they will read this after a time (short or long), I am suggesting the following changing when using number date format:
Month ------------------------- Present Number -----------------Suggested Number
January ------------------------------1--------------------------------- 41
February ----------------------------2 ---------------------------------42
March -------------------------------3 ---------------------------------43
April ---------------------------------4 -------------------------------- 44
May ---------------------------------5 ---------------------------------45
June ---------------------------------6 ---------------------------------46
July ----------------------------------7----------------------------------47
August -------------------------------8 ---------------------------------48
September ---------------------------9 ---------------------------------49
October ------------------------------10 --------------------------------50
November ---------------------------11 ---------------------------------51
December ----------------------------12 --------------------------------52
Then, how would it work??
Say that you want to... say... 6 May 1988, then, instead of 6/5/10 (or 5/6/10), you'd write:
6/45/88 or
45/6/88 or
88/6/45 or
88/45/6,
In any way you read this date you'll get to the same point. That the date is 6 May 1988.
No doubt that in a few years we will need to write the whole year, so not to confuse 1915 with 2015, like this... 6/45/1915 or 2015/45/6.
And what about when the year gets to 2045?? Easy. You'll have two 45, so one of them is the year and the other the month, like this..
45/45/6 or
6/45/45 or
45/6/45,
the same than above, you'll get to the same point... 6 May 2045.
And what about when we (well, not we, I won't make it to 2100) get to the year 2100?? Same thing, easy...
6/45/100 or
45/6/100 or
6/45/2100
we'll get to the same date, for sure.
I know in the beginning it could get a little confusing, and some people will complain, as usually happens with changes because traditions die hard, but in a few months I can guess people will get accustomed, and for better.
Below I give some examples so that your eye and mind see the difference and we can start with a new movement:
------------------------Current Format ------------------Suggested---
In letters ----- month 1st---- day 1st------month 1st ----day 1st
10 Jan 2010----1/10/10 ---------10/1/10 --------41/10/10 ----- 10/41/10
08 Apr 1957 -------4/8/57 --------8/4/57 ---------44/8/57 -----8/44/57
01 Oct 1993 ----10/1/93 ----------1/10/93 -------50/1/93 -----1/50/93
11 Dec 2014 --12/11/14 ---------11/12/14 ------52/11/14 -----11/52/14
07 Nov 2051 ---11/7/51 ----------7/11/51 ------51/7/51 ------7/51/51
12 Sept 2073 ---09/12/73 ---------12/09/73 ------49/12/73 ---12/49/73
Well, hope you have comments. All are welcome once they are not offensive.
lugu07
