Correct way to write 24 hour-time? Decimalpoint too.

[Alex Coleman]

(1) I see several worthy attempts to write the time in a 24-hour
format. Does a definitive format exist?

I want to leave out the seconds. Also note that I am NOT referring
to computer conventions of any sort.

QUESTION: If it is 11 minutes past six in the evening then what is
the correct format?

1816 hrs
18:16 hrs
18:16 hours
18:16 h
18:16
18.16
18-16

Does it vary between being written by a word processor and by hand?
See below.

(2) What is the correct way to write a decimal point? I am English
and that means that a comma is not the correct symbol for the decomal
point.

But ISTR that when the decimal point was written by hand it was in
the air about half the height of the digits. Typewriters and word
prorcessors did not offer that half-way character so a full stop was
used. But is it more correct to handwrite the decimal point as half
way up the height of the digits?

 

[Sam Wormley]

(1) I see several worthy attempts to write the time in a 24-hour
format. Does a definitive format exist?

I want to leave out the seconds. Also note that I am NOT referring
to computer conventions of any sort.

Sat May 27 15:32:17 UTC 2006

15:32

 

[[email protected]]

(1) I see several worthy attempts to write the time in a 24-hour
format. Does a definitive format exist?

I want to leave out the seconds. Also note that I am NOT referring
to computer conventions of any sort.

QUESTION: If it is 11 minutes past six in the evening then what is
the correct format?

1816 hrs
18:16 hrs
18:16 hours
18:16 h
18:16
18.16
18-16

Does it vary between being written by a word processor and by hand?
See below.

(2) What is the correct way to write a decimal point? I am English
and that means that a comma is not the correct symbol for the decomal
point.

But ISTR that when the decimal point was written by hand it was in
the air about half the height of the digits. Typewriters and word
prorcessors did not offer that half-way character so a full stop was
used. But is it more correct to handwrite the decimal point as half
way up the height of the digits?



posted to 3 groups whose members probably
need to be accurate about time recording

Ignoring computers leaves military and aviation as users of 24 hour
time.

By their convention, when written, the time would be 1816Z if in UTC,
some other letter if a different time zone.

When spoken, it would be eighteen sixteen zulu if in UTC, or eighteen
sixteen local.

 

[Alex Coleman]

Ignoring computers leaves military and aviation as users of 24 hour
time.

That was not my intention. I am thinking of this purely for use by the
layman.

As this forum is accessed by computer then I wanted to be clear that
wideley used Unix or Microsoft time formats (however standard in
computing) are not relevant here.

 

[Alex Coleman]

Sat May 27 15:32:17 UTC 2006

15:32

You would not put in "hours" or "hrs" then to qualify "15:32"?

 

[[email protected]]

Ignoring computers leaves military and aviation as users of 24 hour
time.

[/QUOTE]

That was not my intention. I am thinking of this purely for use by the
layman.

Then you are SOL since "layman" don't use 24 hour time and it confuses
most of them.

As this forum is accessed by computer then I wanted to be clear that
wideley used Unix or Microsoft time formats (however standard in
computing) are not relevant here.

24 hour time is not relevant at all to most people.

For those that it is, I gave you the convention.

For a time to be meaningful to geographically separated people, you
also need to account for time zones. Those too confuse "layman".

 

[[email protected]]

Sat May 27 15:32:17 UTC 2006

15:32

You would not put in "hours" or "hrs" then to qualify "15:32"?[/QUOTE]

To avoid confusing it with weeks or fortnights perhaps?

The ":32" isn't in hours.

 

[The Sorcerer]

| (1) I see several worthy attempts to write the time in a 24-hour
| format. Does a definitive format exist?

"Definitive" means how you define it.

|
| I want to leave out the seconds. Also note that I am NOT referring
| to computer conventions of any sort.

So leave them out. Nobody is forcing you to put them in.

|
| QUESTION: If it is 11 minutes past six in the evening then what is
| the correct format?
|
| 1816 hrs
| 18:16 hrs
| 18:16 hours
| 18:16 h
| 18:16
| 18.16
| 18-16
|

Any of
hhmm hrs
hh:mm hrs
hh:mm hours
hh:mm h
hh:mm
hh.mm
hh-mm
18:11

I dunno how you got from 11 minutes past to 16 minutes past.

| Does it vary between being written by a word processor and by hand?

I noted that you are NOT referring to computer conventions of any sort.

| See below.
|
| (2) What is the correct way to write a decimal point?

Is that by ballpoint, fountain pen, pencil, chalkstick, typewriter, on a
barn door,
on paper, in a movie, or some other media? Some people simply stab the
implement,
others write a tiny circle.


| I am English
| and that means that a comma is not the correct symbol for the decomal
| point.

I am part Welsh, part English, but that doesn't prevent me from reading
Deutsch (I don't speak it well, though).
"Beispiele ähnlicher Art, sowie die mißlungenen Versuche, eine Bewegung
der Erde relativ ..."

| But ISTR that when the decimal point was written by hand it was in
| the air about half the height of the digits. Typewriters and word
| prorcessors did not offer that half-way character so a full stop was
| used. But is it more correct to handwrite the decimal point as half
| way up the height of the digits?

Err... yes.
Oops, I used three decimal points as periods (or as full stops) together as
an ellipsis.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/ellipsis
I wonder if you'll see the difference? The spacing between the dots isn't
quite right.

Get over your hang-up, all you really need is to be understood and
English is known worldwide. Those that pretend not to understand are trolls,
those that do not understand are either morons or simply uneducated. Learn
their language or wait until they learn English. In the meantime continue
to write in English.
Androcles

|
|
| --
|
| posted to 3 groups whose members probably
| need to be accurate about time recording

 

[Sam Wormley]

You would not put in "hours" or "hrs" then to qualify "15:32"?

Why complicate it... one typically knows what it mean from the
context in which it is used.

 

[Charles D. Bohne]

24 hour time is not relevant at all to most people.

Depends on how you define "most people".
You may be right as long as you stick to your island

The "rest of the world" uses 24 hours time

17:45:03 GMT

HTH.
C.

 

[[email protected]]

Depends on how you define "most people".

The majority of the people in a civilian supermarket, shopping mall or
movie theater.

Start asking people at random after noon what time it is.

How many respond in 24 hour time?

You may be right as long as you stick to your island

The "rest of the world" uses 24 hours time

 

[The Sorcerer]

| On a sunny day (Sat, 27 May 2006 16:24:09 +0100) it happened Alex Coleman
|
| >QUESTION: If it is 11 minutes past six in the evening then what is
| >the correct format?
|
| 18:16 hr

Typical... Five minutes in error.
18:11 hr

 

[Charles D. Bohne]

The majority of the people in a civilian supermarket, shopping mall or
movie theater.

I don't know for sure what country YOU live in. And what you mean by
"civilian" ;-).

Start asking people at random after noon what time it is.

Did that all my life ...

How many respond in 24 hour time?

60 to 80 percent (in this part of the world).

German rule*) is the use of one point and the word "Uhr"
e.g. 17.30 Uhr , or 19.20 Uhr, 23.45 Uhr
in any written text.

C.

*) Includes Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg ...
and a couple of other European countries. The word "Uhr"
may vary according to the local language.

And yes, I know that Americans think that's just for use
in the military :->

 

[Art Deco]

I don't know for sure what country YOU live in. And what you mean by
"civilian" ;-).

Did that all my life ...

60 to 80 percent (in this part of the world).

German rule*) is the use of one point and the word "Uhr"
e.g. 17.30 Uhr , or 19.20 Uhr, 23.45 Uhr
in any written text.

C.

*) Includes Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg ...
and a couple of other European countries. The word "Uhr"
may vary according to the local language.

And yes, I know that Americans think that's just for use
in the military :->

And your anti-American bigotry has led you to another false conclusion,
Chu*k.

--
Official Associate AFA-B Vote Rustler
Official Overseer of Kooks and Saucerheads in alt.astronomy
Co-Winner, alt.(f)lame Worst Flame War, December 2005

"And without accurate measuring techniques, how can they even
*call* quantum theory a "scientific" one? How can it possibly
be referred to as a "fundamental branch of physics"?"
-- Painsnuh the Lamer

"Well, orientals moved to the U.S. and did amazingly well on
their own, and the races are related (brown)."
-- "Honest" John pontificates on racial purity

 

[Charles D. Bohne]

ISO 8601

http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-datetime
C.

 

[krw]

| On a sunny day (Sat, 27 May 2006 16:24:09 +0100) it happened Alex Coleman
|
| >QUESTION: If it is 11 minutes past six in the evening then what is
| >the correct format?
|
| 18:16 hr

Typical... Five minutes in error.
18:11 hr

I was wondering when someone would pick up the troll.

 

[The Sorcerer]

| In article <[email protected]>,
| [email protected]_f says...
| >
| > | > | On a sunny day (Sat, 27 May 2006 16:24:09 +0100) it happened Alex
Coleman
| > |
| > | >QUESTION: If it is 11 minutes past six in the evening then what is
| > | >the correct format?
| > |
| > | 18:16 hr
| >
| > Typical... Five minutes in error.
| > 18:11 hr
|
| I was wondering when someone would pick up the troll.

They do not pay attention to detail.
This is a more serious and costly trawl by the worst troll:
http://www.androcles01.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/DominoEffect.GIF
Androcles.



| --
|
| Keith

 

[Alex Coleman]

[...]

Then you are SOL since "layman" don't use 24 hour time and it confuses
most of them.

[...]

24 hour time is not relevant at all to most people.

For those that it is, I gave you the convention.

For a time to be meaningful to geographically separated people, you
also need to account for time zones. Those too confuse "layman".

Here in Europe we use 24 hour time a great deal.

Laymen and even old ladies both use it.

If you make a contention that applies only to the US then that's ok
but that is not where I live.

 

[Jeff…Relf]

Hi Alex_Coleman,

For myself, I write 18 hours 16 minutes after midnight as 6.16 P.
If it was something that happened 18 hours 16 minutes ago,
I write it as .761 days... ( 18 + 16 / 60 ) / 24 .

 

[Charles D. Bohne]

Wel, i did some introspection, as European, if in the Netherlands at
say 16:48h somebody askes you 'what time is it' (in Dutch: Weet U ook
hoe laat het is?), I would reply with '12 voor 5' (12 to five).
Because of the context people usually KNOW if it is morning or evening.

Maybe - but you wouldn't do that on the phone with someone calling from
"het buitenland"

C.