Daylight Savings Time Reminder!!!

[dawn_felagund]

The United States and Canada switched to daylight savings time this morning. The United Kingdom does not change to daylight savings time until March 25, and since we use GMT for our schedule for B2MeM, that means that, for some participants, the posting time for new bingo numbers changes, as does the time when old numbers are closed.

Until March 25, new bingo numbers will be posted no later than 8 PM EST. Old numbers will be removed no earlier than 8 PM EST.

I'll post another notice when the times change in the UK so everyone remembers to adjust their schedules again, if necessary.

Comments

[almaheart.livejournal.com]

Ah, thank you, Dawn! I was having so much trouble figuring out the various time-switching time-not-switching. (Also, you got me to my appointment on time, because I forgot to switch :P)

[dawn_felagund]

My sister and her wife live in England, and we Skype every Sunday, so we got the various countries' daylight savings time dates ironed out this morning! :) It's confusing to me, so I know it will be confusing to others too. It'd be nice if all the countries changed on the same day. (It'd be even nicer if we didn't change the time at all, but that might just be me. ;)

And I'm glad the reminder was useful beyond B2MeM too! :D

[zdenka]

Thanks! Good to know.

[dawn_felagund]

You're welcome! :)

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

You act as though an extra hour to finish a prompt requires warning. *g* Now, if it had been eight but now things needed to be done by seven, *that* could cause some problems. For now, though, it's just an unexpected little gift.

[dawn_felagund]

But the new numbers will be posted an hour later as well. :) Judging by the speed with which some people comment to claim stamps, I think some wait for them! I didn't want them waiting longer than necessary or wondering why the numbers were coming consistently an hour later (since many people don't realize that DST starts on different days in different countries).

You're right that going back on the 25th will be the bigger deal. I'll probably offer reminders for a few days leading up to it and have an hour's grace period for the first couple of days.

[jay-of-lasgalen.livejournal.com]

Hee! I like this. Usually, being on GMT means I'm asleep when interesting things happen.

[dawn_felagund]

it probably would have slipped my mind entirely if not for the fact that my sister and her wife live in England, so the issue came up in arranging our weekly time to talk on Skype. :) I always figure that if I'm clueless/confused about something, then I'm probably not alone! :)

[paranoidangel]

I'm really confused - is the deadline/numbers going up still going to be midnight GMT, regardless of who's changed the clocks when? Or are you saying that you're changing the times?

[dawn_felagund]

Yes, it's midnight GMT, no matter what. We're going with their time.

[ladybrooke]

Well...it's going to be hard on Thursdays, but I'll work it out *plots how to smuggle computer into Chemistry Lab*. ;p

[dawn_felagund]

Those of us in North America get an extra hour to post now. (Nothing changes for those who haven't switched to DST yet.) I think it will be worse when the UK switches to DST on the 25th ...

[ladybrooke]

Lol, the only problem for me is that new cards will now be posted when I'm in class on Thursdays (I have Chemistry Lab from 7 pm to 9pm Central Time). The extra hour is nice though...it probably will be.

[dawn_felagund]

Aha--got it! :D So you're one of the ones who waits for me to post the new number each evening?? ;)

[ladybrooke]

Yes, it's my way of relaxing after each crummy day (I have no idea what I'll do after this and Script Frenzy are done.) :)

[independence1776]

Camp Nano, of course! (Good luck with Screnzy!)

[ladybrooke]

I plan to do that! Both sessions of it, in fact :D (But it still lives me lacking something in May...I have a need to be constantly so busy that I have no free time, or I end up thinking too much) (Thank you! Do you do Nano and Screnzy as well?)

[independence1776]

I've done (and won) Nano every year since 2004. Screnzy I've never done; I dislike scripts.

I'm doing June Camp-- as a rebel, only going for 25k. I want to rewrite my 2010 Nano (the legal within the Nano rules way by not looking at the old story). It changed plot on me every three chapters, and I want to see if I can salvage something from the mess. I figure 25k is a good benchmark for that.

What to do in May… There's a ton of prompt communities out there; I can give you some links if you want.

[ladybrooke]

Wow! I've only done NaNo once, last November, which was the first time I'd ever really heard of it. Scripts aren't my favorites, but I like them just enough to have written one for a contest (mainly because I like winning things), so I decided to give Screnzy a try.

Cool! I wish I had enough motivation to go back and revise any of my old stories. The only one I really want to rewrite was written around 2006...25k sounds like a good benchmark to me too.

Thanks, if you wouldn't mind, I'd love links. I'll be out of school then, so I need more to do each day. (Cue my friends asking if I'm insane, since I already have two major projects for that month. ;p)

[independence1776]

I actually found out about it through fanfic! I was reading a Harry Potter one, and the author said there would be no updates in November due to it. I read that in December 2003… (And at that point, sign-ups were only open in October and November.)

I like the characters and world, so if I can figure out a plot, I'd eventually like to try to get it pubished. Glad it's not just me who thinks that's a good place!

All righty… Here you go! Again, sorry for taking so long.

http://daily-prompt.dreamwidth.org/ (Is what it sounds like)

http://www.promptedtowrite.com/ (Ditto)

http://rainbowlists.dreamwidth.org/tag/ (Dreamwidth original fiction community, but the prompts are open to the public, and there are a ton of them, and themed. Each "color" goes to a prompt list.)

http://momebie.livejournal.com/tag/nano%2011 (Writing prompts with picture and text that someone did during Nano last year. There are some really cool ones.)

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

*yawn*
Daylight Savings Time always makes me sleepy.....

[dawn_felagund]

I know. I've been tired all day!

[independence1776]

I'm actually glad the numbers will be up an hour later. It was messing with my head that they were posted so early in the evening. (Yes, I know I'm strange.)

[dawn_felagund]

They were usually being posted early under the old time too because, at 7 PM EST, I'm either eating supper or cleaning up the dishes. And I'd rather post the numbers early than late.

I should be better at sticking to the actual time now! :) Then, of course, we'll switch back on the 25th, which will suck ...

[independence1776]

Better early than late indeed! (It was just them being posted around 6:30 meant my brain went "but it's not the next day yet; there's still six hours left!" and cue slight forced remembering of what day it actually is. I said I was strange. :P)

[arwen75]

Just to be technical - is it midnight GMT you are using (which does not change at all throughout the year) or is it midnight UK time - which does change. We are on GMT at the moment but go to BST (British Summer Time) on 25th March.

Sorry - you can tell I am an engineer by profession - I tend to try to be precise. Plus people calling UK time GMT tends to be one of my little bugbears as it is not factually correct - GMT never changes - our time does. It is something that cause fun with my MMO gaming where people tend to get confused about times frequently.

[dawn_felagund]

Thanks for clarifying that, as I didn't know that particular factoid of information. :) I'll stick with GMT then and make a note on the 25th when that will mean a different posting time for those on BST.