Date Dunce

[Jonathan Hutchins]

On Tuesday 29 March 2005 05:09 pm, Oren Beck wrote:

> To really take this as a point of constructive discourse could anyone
> here suggest mail software that uses something other than local system time?

Well, in order to do that it would have to consult some sort of time reference 
each time you posted a message.  There are ntp time servers out there, and 
there is the ntpdate program which will perform this function.  I suppose a 
mail client could call ntpdate each time it sent a message.

Much better, though, to have the ntp client program consult the server 
periodically, and use it to sync the local clock, and possibly even adjust it 
for drift.  

That way, not only the mail program, but any program on the computer can use 
the correct date; files created and stored on the computer will be accurately 
timestamped should this ever matter, and you can even set your watch to the 
PC clock.

I guess what we really need is some sort of time sanity checker that looks at 
the clock offset and says "your language is set to US English and your 
timezone is set for Outer Mongolia, besides which your clock is four days 
off.  Do you wish to continue?"