illzoni Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 I'm in a business writing class and the varied use of time specifications has been discussed. Many classmates say they use the full acronym (e.g. CDT, CST) an no other (e.g. local time, CT). I'm a proponent of KISS and favor local time or CT. What say you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vern Edwards Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 If you define the abbreviation -- CDT, CST. and CT are not acronyms, because they are not pronounced as words -- it should not matter. CDT stands for (or means, or refers to) Central Daylight Time. CST stands for Central Standard Time. CT stands for Central Time (right?) Be careful with Local Time. What's "local"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illzoni Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Vern's right, as those abbreviations are technically initialisms. And my question isn't so much about abbreviations versus spelling them out as it is the Daylight/Standard detail. I like the use of local time for events (e.g. site visits) held at a physical location with little doubt of its time zone. For instance, St. Louis is in the heart of the Central Time Zone and local time would suffice. The use of the D for Daylight or S for Standard is problematic because of misuse. Too often D is used in winter and S in summer. I would postulate we have more problems arise from our own misuse of time specs than we do from vague time specs. Too many times documents are issued with the wrong Daylight/Standard designation. I spent many years in Arizona, where we used MST and meant it. As Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Time, the state is on Mountain Standard Time all year. Even though MST was always the accurate designation we often had to explain ourselves to those from outside Arizona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Culham Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Even more confusing the Navajo Nation observes daylight savings time so even Arizona is not all the same and "local time" is problematic as it would seem your discussion about Arizona forgets this fact. . Spell it out......Central Daylight Time is really only 16 more letters!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illzoni Posted February 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Touche, C! I guess I'm weary of folks misusing Central Daylight Time, etc, when they don't mean it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
policyguy Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Several years ago I found a GAO protest decision that discussed how to refer to time: B-405754, SBBI, Inc. November 23, 2011, and they reference a law to which I was not familiar - Uniform Time Act of 1996, 15 U.S.C. § 262 (2006). In the protest decision GAO states: "..We have previously held, that under the Uniform Time Act of 1996, 15 U.S.C. § 262 (2006), there is one standard time for most governmental purposes, including the time designated for receipt of proposals or opening bids, and that time is the local time, regardless of whether it is referred to as standard time or as daylight savings time in the solicitation. 49 Comp. Gen. 164 (1969) (standard time and daylight savings time are one and the same for purposes of designating a bid opening time); Environmental Control Division, Inc., B-255181, Feb. 16, 1994, 94-1 CPD ¶ 115 at 4...." Based on this information I would suggest using local time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Culham Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 pg - Now that is interesting. "Local Time" it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vern Edwards Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Just because the GAO says it doesn't make it so, especially if the issue relates to contract administration. Use whatever time you want, just explain what you mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif)
Recommended Posts