Relative Dates not showing on forum posts

[Amaradorn]

For Etsy forum techs - what has happened to the date format of forum posts? All threads are now showing actual dates/times and not (for example) '34 mins ago' as they used to.

I have checked my forum settings and they are set to show 'Relative Dates'.

Can we get this fixed please as I am finding it rather discombobulated.

[NanaLetha]

I’m seeing the same thing and don’t like it at all.

[vintageNCtreasures]

I noticed this and posted on another thread.

It's annoying as he!!.
I thought all the posts were ZOMBIE threads because older threads only showed the date.

Newer threads just had 10 min, 3 hours, the day of the week.

Then I realized the threads had today or yesterdays date and thought WTF is this? Grrrrrrrrr

It's hard on the eyes having to look at every single date to make sure you're not replying to a 1, 2+ year old thread.

If it gets fixed back to like it was which was MUCH better, I'd be surprised!

ETA, not surprising taking something that works and changes it to be a PITA!

[Smudgekitty]

Thank goodness, I thought I was the only one that this was irritating.

The date makes them look like old posts, in fact,one thread, I scrolled up and down trying to find the new post that bumped up an old thread before realizing they were all new posts.

Strangely, if I click to see more threads, *those* ones have time stamps. 

[vintageNCtreasures]

I did the same thing, trying to find the "new" post on what I thought was a zombie thread then figured out all the posts on that thread were new.

[CarpetCollectionAU]

Add me to the list. I needed 2 more strong morning coffees before I realized that my Forum feed for Popular Discussions was not showing "zombie" threads, but the 1 min ago / 2 hours ago / yesterday timestamps had disappeared.

As things stand, it is really difficult to determine recent threads or comments from the Discussion feed.

Then, within a Thread, it is now almost impossible to find the most recent comment.

[CarpetCollectionAU]

I think that is me "done for the day" as far as Forum Discussion is concerned. I am wasting far too much time trying to work out where and how a Thread or Comment can be replied to appropriately.

Perhaps, if we all stopped participating in Forums today, Etsy will realize that the "unpaid services" of the Forum Community are valuable and deserve respect? 

Then again, surely the Forum Mods will be having the same difficulties monitoring Forums today?

[Amaradorn]

I also ticked the box to receive emails when someone replies to my post. Not a single email appeared (and not in 'Junk' folder either).

[UppNorthEh]

This is going to be really infuriating.  Is it because the mods won't have to come on and say don't bump an old thread.  I had to really look to find the new post in an old thread.  Now others are replying.  uuggghhh. 

New year, new resolution.  No forums.  But this is where I find out what's going on around here.  

[ChillwolfArt]

Yes, I posted about it earlier, in another Thread. At the time I thought it was weird, but couldn't remember if this was a new change. vintageNCtreasures confirmed it was new as well. I don't like it because on the other Thread, upon seeing the date/time, I thought it was a Zombie Thread, then discovered it had today's date. Usually we would see something like, "5 minutes ago", "1 hour ago", and so forth. Or it may say "Yesterday". But not specific dates/times like this. Strange.

[UppNorthEh]

So I just Unsubscribed to the zombie thread I keep getting notices for that people keep reposting in.  It wasn't even an interesting topic.  Will they stop now?  I've never done this.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

I unsubscribe every day.

The only notice you will get is if someone Likes your post. Or @s you.

[DivineCrossings]

They really need to add the original posting date to the thread titles on the front of the forum page….it would make it much easier to see if the thread was old or new. As it stands, they only provide the date of the most recent response/post. Or, they could list both…the original date next to the thread title and the most recent response underneath. How many times have newbies, and he££, even seasoned sellers, responded to older zombie threads because the original post date is hidden in the thread itself? 

And yeah, the most recent posts (per notifications) are almost impossible to find. 

[DesertChains]

Throwing in my support for all the above.

[CarpetCollectionAU]

 @ModAngie   @thatregina   @FabioMcMustache 

Could this Thread please be escalated to the Tech / Engineering Team, please?

We are all having a difficult time contributing constructively and easily in Forums today.

In addition, many "Zombie" Threads are being activated because it is hard to see the original date / time.

To add to the confusion, the timestamps on all my Forum Threads / Posts are in US format Y / M / D not D / M / Y  and Timezone is US East Coast (ie: 6.09 pm when it is 10.09 am here in Australia)

Edited to add: The only Timestamp that is working as it should is the one on Notification Feeds (ie: 2 mins ago)

[DollHeaven]

And not only that - the date format is US which is fair enough for a US site but is extra confusing if you are used to the d/m/y format which Australians use.  So add me to the extra confused group this morning.  I am so glad I am not the only one.

[Amaradorn]

@CarpetCollectionAU thank you for your support and escalating. I can never remember who to add.

[SmudgePlant]

@CarpetCollectionAU  and @DollHeaven 

If you click on your avatar at the top of the forum page and click My Settings, you can click on Preferences and Preference Options, change the timezone and click Save.

You can then click on Display and chose a Date Display Format. You can change dd-MM-yyyy to MM-dd-yyyy and then click Save. Just make sure to use MM and not mm.

By the way, I'm on a team and the team info is still 10 hours ago, 30 minutes ago, etc.

[DollHeaven]

@SmudgePlant Thank you for that.  I have changed my timezone and preferences and now all is back to normal. Interestingly, my preferences showed the default which should show minutes and hours  but didn't, so  maybe something has happened to change the default. 

[TheVintagePineapple]

Here a glitch

There a glitch

Everywhere a glitch glitch

E I E I Ohhh

[leinweberstudio]

It's the corporate way.

Make something difficult to use to cut down on usage.

Doing mental gymnastics over here, translating New York time to MDT.

Can you be any more irritating, Etsy? 

[AnniebelloPaper]

@leinweberstudio the only problem with Etsy 'cutting down on usage' is they often direct sellers to the forums for the support (that they cannot/will not provide). If we can't find threads, we can't provide that invaluable assistance.

I wish Etsy would stop digging unnecessary holes we struggle to get out of while not fixing stuff that really doesn't work.

edited to add ... if you click 'latest activity' at the top, you do get the times back. This only works for the home page. When you're in the thread itself, it's still just the date and (whoever's) time.

[leinweberstudio]

@AnniebelloPaper 

the only problem with Etsy 'cutting down on usage' is they often direct sellers to the forums for the support (that they cannot/will not provide). If we can't find threads, we can't provide that invaluable assistance.

I'm guessing that Etsy doesn't care whether sellers get help here or not.

The sheer fact they send them here in the first place, when many sellers have problems far outside our abilities to solve, tells me that Etsy doesn't give a rat's ankle.

[thatregina · Accepted solution]

Hi all, thank you for your reports! Relative time has been restored.

As @SmudgePlant mentions, you can also change your own settings to your preference. Navigate to your avatar on the top right, click on My settings > Preferences > Display and you will see the option to set date display format and your preferred time (relative or absolute). Language and time zone can be set under My settings > Preferences > Preference Options.