How Time Affects Writing

You may not really think about it, but depending on thehad a single time zone since May 1, 1980, observing
equinox, you may be using the wrong terms -summer Daylight Saving Time from 1986 through 1991;
specifically daylight time versus standard time. Whenthey do not observe DST now.
does it start, when does it apply and how do weSo, that brings us back to scheduling. When do we use
know? Especially, this year when many of us sprungstandard time versus daylight time? Well, the answer is
into daylight savings time almost 3 weeks early! Does- it depends. Seriously, this year is a perfect case.
it really make a difference if we say daylight orMany of us entered daylight savings time three weeks
standard time? Well it can and it's especially importantearlier than others. How do we know who is on what
to pay attention to differences when you're planningtime? PDT in Oregon started a few weeks ago.
meetings that will be attended by people all over theAustralia however, does not enter daylight savings
world. That is something that never used to be atimes until the last weekend in March. Tropical
consideration - can you imagine 10 years ago planningcountries generally do not observe Daylight Saving
meetings with employees or colleagues all over theTime.
world? I couldn't. The IP revolution introduced the ideaAs reported on the DST Web Site, "Widespread
of having meetings with off-site personnel, but theyconfusion was created during the 1950s and 1960s
were usually at least in the same time zone andwhen each U.S. locality could start and end Daylight
usually state. But the technology was not as excitingSaving Time as it desired. One year, 23 different pairs
as its potential and not many of us were impressed.of DST start and end dates were used in Iowa alone.
Now, however, we can meet with people all over theFor exactly five weeks each year, Boston, New York,
planet right from our desktop. It really is amazing.and Philadelphia were not on the same time as
Daylight saving time started in the United States duringWashington D.C., Cleveland, or Baltimore-but Chicago
World War I, primarily to save fuel by reducing thewas. And, on one Ohio to West Virginia bus route,
need to use artificial lighting. It was not observedpassengers had to change their watches seven times
nationally again until World War II, although some statesin 35 miles! The situation led to millions of dollars in
and communities observed daylight saving timecosts to several industries, especially those involving
between the wars further adding to the confusiontransportation and communications. Extra railroad
surround daylight savings time. The current system oftimetables alone cost the today's equivalent of over
beginning DST at 2 AM on the first Sunday in April and$12 million per year".
ending it at 2 AM on the last Sunday in October wasThe easiest way to keep it all straight is to start using
not standardized until 1986. Different variations havestandard daylight time as soon as you move your
been tried through the years including a year roundclocks ahead. Change the battery in your smoke
observance of daylight savings in 1973. According toalarm, turn all your clocks forward an hour and start
the Daylight Savings Time Web site, "today,using DT. When it comes time to change your clocks
approximately 70 countries utilize Daylight Saving Timeback in the fall, do the same thing. Change the battery
in at least a portion of their country. Japan, India, andin your smoke alarm, turn all your clocks backward an
China are the only major industrialized countries that dohour and start using ST.
not observe some form of daylight saving". China has