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[RCU005]

It’s been a common practice in every app or OS, that they put “x hours ago” instead of telling the exact time.

Like YouTube for example: you watch a video and it says it was uploaded “1 year ago”

I hate that because if the time is 1 year 364 days it will still say 1 year ago, until it passes the 365th day and becomes 2

In some instances, I hate that because receiving a message on iPhone 1 hour ago or 1 hour 45 minutes ago is not the same thing! And sometimes you do need the actual time!

I wouldn’t care if they gave the option everywhere (emails, messages, apps,) to put the actual time.

It’s a little rant, but how hard it is to put the actual time of things? I know people can naturally talk like this and say “about an hour ago” but this is not conversation. This is something written.

Imagine if it was like this on airports, and say that your plane left 1 hour ago, or that it will arrive in about 2 hours!

It’s just so annoying.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Agreed -- good interfaces let you at least hover or tap on the "...hours ago" message to see the exact time, and it's extremely annoying when they don't.

 

[near]

Like YouTube for example: you watch a video and it says it was uploaded “1 year ago”

If you click the description box to expand it, it will give you the date the video was uploaded.

 

[LegendOfKage]

If I look at your post, it says that it was made 6 minutes ago.

 

[poppabk]

If I look at your post, it says that it was made 6 minutes ago.

How many seconds goddammit. This is important information.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

This drives me nuts as well. One more annoyance... it's not evergreen in that if the app/web page has issues and doesn't actually constantly update the field you will get the complete wrong time offset anyway.

My head-canon is that one day some UX designer had a eureka moment observing someone with an IQ of sixty looking at an actual timestamp, and the time, both on his screen, and just being completely unable to do the basic math.

 

[Toots]

I think it's another way to infantilize people.
Precise time is hard, being vague is good enough. Now go vote because your voice counts.

 

[T-0800]

You think that's annoying. I had a girl work for me once that couldn't read an analogue clock. She would look at it and count with her fingers trying to work out what it said. I'm not sure how that helped. Thankfully she only worked for us for a couple of years and then she got married and had a baby. A few years later she apparently became a man.

 

[winjer]

Yes, it's an annoyance that companies do this with their UI.
I would much rather have the date instead.

 

[Griffon]

Maybe it's a way not to deal too much with timezone shenanigans?

 

[jufonuk]

It’s been a common practice in every app or OS, that they put “x hours ago” instead of telling the exact time.

Like YouTube for example: you watch a video and it says it was uploaded “1 year ago”

I hate that because if the time is 1 year 364 days it will still say 1 year ago, until it passes the 365th day and becomes 2

In some instances, I hate that because receiving a message on iPhone 1 hour ago or 1 hour 45 minutes ago is not the same thing! And sometimes you do need the actual time!

I wouldn’t care if they gave the option everywhere (emails, messages, apps,) to put the actual time.

It’s a little rant, but how hard it is to put the actual time of things? I know people can naturally talk like this and say “about an hour ago” but this is not conversation. This is something written.

Imagine if it was like this on airports, and say that your plane left 1 hour ago, or that it will arrive in about 2 hours!

It’s just so annoying.

Did you accidentally like someone’s picture on Insta? It’s ok

 

[RagnarokIV]

It's another reason why we need to go back to MSN Messenger boys, it's the best (and still going). Any one want to add me?

 

[AJUMP23]

I agree, just tell me when I posted that last stupid/brilliant thought, or picture of my kid.

 

[jshackles]

You think that's annoying. I had a girl work for me once that couldn't read an analogue clock. She would look at it and count with her fingers trying to work out what it said. I'm not sure how that helped. Thankfully she only worked for us for a couple of years and then she got married and had a baby. A few years later she apparently became a man.

This post was such a wild ride

 

[8bitpill]

Slightly different but I can't stand when someone uses the word " Several " for explaining a specific amount of time. This most likely stems from a former friend that I had that would use that in place to make it seem like he was into or doing something longer than he actually did.

I'm usually like "You can't just remember if it was 3/5 years ago."

I know it's dumb and it's a common term but the fact he would use it to make it seem like he was doing or into said thing for longer than he actually was is what stuck with me.

 

[IntentionalPun]

You can see exact message times on iPhone, just pull the message to the left.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Slightly different but I can't stand when someone uses the word " Several " for explaining a specific amount of time. This most likely stems from a former friend that I had that would use that in place to make it seem like he was into or doing something longer than he actually did.

I'm usually like "You can't just remember if it was 3/5 years ago."

I know it's dumb and it's a common term but the fact he would use it to make it seem like he was doing or into said thing for longer than he actually was is what stuck with me.

I don't think I have to deal with anyone that uses the word "several" out in the wild. "A few", sure... but several? Nah.

But generally, can't say I've ever had a problem with "a few". If I need something more specific I can just follow up, and they might have to access some deeper memory stores to come to an exact number.

Programmers on the other hand have to do extra work just to give you the less useful "x years ago" nonsense.