date format for British?

[Bob]

In the U.S. we do 3-24-2010.

Is the standard format for England 24-3-2010?

[csharp_minor]

Yes that's correct. I would write todays date 24/3/10 , I'm British. I didn't know the Americans did it differently.  

haha love your emoticons btw! practice harder! hahaha

[littletune]

Really? it's different in Britain and in U.S. ? cool I didn't know that! I mean I saw it written both ways but I didn't know why and it can be really confusing if it's a date like 3/2 then you can't know for sure what is a day and what a month    well i guess we write it more like the British in my country except like: 24.3. 2010

[richard black]

Yes, that's one thing the UK got right - the US system has no logic at all! The European system (10/3/24) makes sense too.

American spelling is mostly a (small) improvement on UK, though - no real reason why 'colour' needs that 'u', and 'sulfur' is more sensible than 'sulphur' - but then why 'physics' (in both countries) instead of 'fysics'? And Americans have got 'to practise' and 'practice' (noun) the wrong way as the analogy is with 'to devise' and 'device', which is the same as the UK.

[pianowolfi]

The European system (10/3/24) makes sense too.

Huh? We write 24.03.'10

[oxy60]

Anyway you like it just fine until you want to date files saved on different dates. My file system and maybe yours sorts in numerical order so today is 20100324. At a glance I will know the latest recording.

I have a digital camera that drives me nuts. It dates 24-3-2010. The sort then is by the date of the day and all shots taken on the first day of any month in any year are together. So a painstaking rename of all the picture files as they are transferred to the computer has to be done or I will find nothing.

[cpessimist]

This is actually an interesting topic, and I'd like to explain why the american system, as usual, is superior (I jest, but it really is a good system if you think about it!).  First, it makes sense that the most important information be read first--humans have a tendency to remember the first thing they were told better than things in the middle.  That's exactly what happens in the American system.  Why is the month the most important?  Well, the month will tell you the most information about what it is like outside.  You would never think to yourself "gee it's the 3rd, I better get out my winter clothes."  Of course, as time has progressed, what it's like outside has gotten less important, because of technology.  The year is completely arbitrary, and the day is only there so you can coordinate easily with other people.  So... I hope that clears everything up.  Go America.

[richard black]

The European system (10/3/24) makes sense too.


Huh? We write 24.03.'10

Oh, yes, sorry, I know year/month/date is used somewhere but I should have known it's not anywhere in Europe. Not thinking. Um, Japan then, I suspect!

[pianowolfi]

Oh, yes, sorry, I know year/month/date is used somewhere but I should have known it's not anywhere in Europe. Not thinking. Um, Japan then, I suspect!

Anyway, the Brits sometimes love to act like they're not part of Europe
I know it from my relatives there...and I am to an eighth actually British myself Lol

[pianistrick]

This is actually an interesting topic, and I'd like to explain why the american system, as usual, is superior (I jest, but it really is a good system if you think about it!).  First, it makes sense that the most important information be read first--humans have a tendency to remember the first thing they were told better than things in the middle.  That's exactly what happens in the American system.  Why is the month the most important?  Well, the month will tell you the most information about what it is like outside.  You would never think to yourself "gee it's the 3rd, I better get out my winter clothes."  Of course, as time has progressed, what it's like outside has gotten less important, because of technology.  The year is completely arbitrary, and the day is only there so you can coordinate easily with other people.  So... I hope that clears everything up.  Go America.

Can't agree at all. I always know the month I'm in, after all it's there for about 30 days, but very often I need reminding of the day's date.
Secondly the Brit/European system is logical: the units progress in size: smallest-medium-biggest, (day-month-year). Clumsy Americans have to make do with a lopsided: medium-smallest-biggest.

The other system quoted: Year-Month-day is found in China and certain Asian countries.

[pianisten1989]

I think it's different everywhere. Some ppl writes year/month/day, some with "-" instead of "/"
and some with day/month/year.

However, today's date is 01/04-10 imo

[Bob]

(Bob is wondering if Americans need to be reminded which month it is and that's why the month goes first.)  We're so busy we forget the month?

[oxy60]

Actually Bob, in America the real question is: will there be more month than money or more money than month?