Stop using B.C.E. and C.E. you cretins!

[Leifmk]

Picking another arbitrary date to be the new year 0?

It's been tried a fair few times, usually in connection with a political revolution of some sort. It usually doesn't take but a few such calendars still linger on in limited geographic areas. North Korea, for example.

Re-designing the calendar in any meaningful way? Massively inconvenient and expensive as hell. And worse the more legacy systems we have going.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Re-designing the calendar in any meaningful way? Massively inconvenient and expensive as hell. And worse the more legacy systems we have going.

Do you think it would be more inconvenient, difficult or expensive than the original switch over to the metric system? (not that I think we'll be switching our calendars or dating systems anytime soon)

 

[duckstab]

While we're at it, can we please have a real year 0 so the next time the century rolls over we can silence any priggish insistence that we're celebrating a year early?

I've always argued that we should do away with BC entirely. After all, what's the point in honoring the intention of a guy who had no concept of 0 or negative numbers? Renumber as follows:

1 AD => 1 AD
1 BC => 0 AD
2 BC => -1 AD
3 BC => -2 AD

etc.

The only people put out by this will be a few history buffs, and the rest of us can carry on with our lives.

 

[Kennigit]

people aren't neckbeardy enough for UNIX time

 

[Leifmk]

Do you think it would be more inconvenient, difficult or expensive than the original switch over to the metric system? (not that I think we'll be switching our calendars or dating systems anytime soon)

Yes, for the simple reason that we have a hell of a lot of legacy systems that would need updating. It'd be like the Y2K problem, squared. (And if you think that Y2K was nothing much, then you... weren't working in programming in the late 1990s, anyway.) This was not a consideration during the introduction of the metric system.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Yes, for the simple reason that we have a hell of a lot of legacy systems that would need updating. It'd be like the Y2K problem, squared. (And if you think that Y2K was nothing much, then you... weren't working in programming in the late 1990s, anyway.) This was not a consideration during the introduction of the metric system.

Every country had their own units of measurement before the switch to metric. I'm pretty sure there was more of those legacy systems than legacy calendar systems.

I do get that it would require a big change regarding computer programs, GPS systems and the like. But still, you can make a change once and push it through the system electronically via updates. You couldn't do that in the 18th century.

 

[warpus]

So opening the solar system up for exploration, exploitation and eventual colonization doesn't count as a new age?

It's just that it happened in the past, so it wouldn't make sense to re-year everything that's happened since. It'd be a huge headache not only in terms of data & Y2K-like issues, but also.. it's already happened, let it be.

While we're at it, can we please have a real year 0 so the next time the century rolls over we can silence any priggish insistence that we're celebrating a year early?

Yeah, not having a year 0 was kinda dumb. At least they didn't skip year 13.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

It's just that it happened in the past, so it wouldn't make sense to re-year everything that's happened since. It'd be a huge headache not only in terms of data & Y2K-like issues, but also.. it's already happened, let it be.

I feel really dumb and off my game today. I keep missing important, operative sentences like this in your previous post:

Nothing that's happened in the past

That totally made my point moot.

Also, I'm quite fond of the idea of using the moon landings as a timeline reset point, so I'll defend it even when it's not under attack. As you just evidenced.

 

[Quackers]

I prefer BC/AD - not due to any logical reasoning just that i was brought up using it and it's worked marvelously so far. It doesn't need to replaced.
I do like Hobb's idea. Lets say the first human to be born in a colony on the Moon? Or Mars? Or the first settlement? Definitely one of them appeals to me.

 

[Berzerker]

That, and the BCE/CE is conventionally written after the number. You are supposed to switch with BC/AD (BC after, AD before). That's annoying and stupid.

I always put the AD after the year. Sue me.

yup, and i usually dont capitalize

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I prefer BC/AD - not due to any logical reasoning just that i was brought up using it and it's worked marvelously so far. It doesn't need to replaced.
I do like Hobb's idea. Lets say the first human to be born in a colony on the Moon? Or Mars? Or the first settlement? Definitely one of them appeals to me.

It's correctly spelled Hobbs's...but I forgive you because I can't quit you.

 

[SouthernKing]

Personally I used BC/AD (although I've always written AD after the date) even though I not Christian, just cause its easier to write. I have no problems with BCE/CE.

we could all just use Julian days and do away with this calendar mess entirely.

 

[NickyJ]

Let's move the year up by one, just so we can rub it in the faces of the Mayan calendar people.

Actually, let's make February 10th, 1996 the new 0. After all, that's when the center of the world was born.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Let's move the year up by one, just so we can rub it in the faces of the Mayan calendar people.

You got ninja'd 2 pages back by your bitter rival! muhahahaha

Make 4000B.C.E the new year 0, then we can live in 6012.

And thereby make the Mayan prophecy a moot point!

 

[NickyJ]

But you said to do it only for making it moot, not for rubbing it in.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

But you said to do it only for making it moot, not for rubbing it in.

Making it moot rubs it in depending on whether or not you made it moot on purpose.

 

[El_Machinae]

Face it, if God had wanted us to us BC and AD, he'd have made it less completely ambiguous as to whether Jesus was born before 4 BC or after 7 AD

 

[Berzerker]

year 1 will begin if we survive the coming apocalypse in december

 

[hobbsyoyo]

year 1 will begin if we survive the coming apocalypse in december

I don't know about you but I resently buddied up with John Cusack.

 

[warpus]

I would be perfectly fine if we changed A.D. to "The Year of the Jesus"