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
Not bad and I see what you mean, making it confusing between the two modes. I think that change can be very difficult for the masses. What you are suggesting would make it easier from the begining, by just looking at it. I see it difficult for people to go with a drastic change like this. maybe we all need to use the same mode e.g. the first set of numbers = month, second set of numbers = day, and last set of number year. if we all use that format the problem is solved and it may be easier to adjust to. JC.
ReplyDeleteMmh, that's the problem. You find easy that all the other around the world change their current system that they've been using for years and years. It'd be a radicall change, but the way I am suggesting it'd solve once and forever, and no pride would be touched. Usually the US is the only one using month/day/year, so it won't be easy that other rich countries want to change to the US system. It is like the Esperanto language, it is so a great idea that the world should adopt it as a universal language, without a country pride be touched.
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