BrickLink Discussion Forum

In Suggestions, hpoort writes:

In Suggestions, HallBricks writes:

It would be great if I could change the time zone on BrickLink. Maybe not the
most necessary feature, but it feels like it wouldn't be that difficult of
a thing to implement.

Have you ever thought about it's complexity?

Very simple: everything is stored in UTC and presented in a local/chosen TZ.

The UTC → local TZ conversion is done with a standard, well tested library.

There. The complexity is outsourced.

Besides, it’s just about presentation. Official times are those in the database,
on the server, in UTC.

See Tom Scott's YouTube
episode about implementing time zones in programming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wpm-gesOY

I stopped watching after he began talking about DST (“autumn in England”).

And that’s absurd. He talks about a programmer who:
1. doesn’t know what TZs are,
2. adds cases one by one instead of, finally, learning what’s it about,
3. and thus reinvents the wheel, spoke by spoke.

Yes, timezones are complex (and involve politics, therefore also totally insane)
and that’s why you don’t cobble up something in your garage.

Yes, timezones change frequently (remember, politics), but you just update the
TZ data the library uses.

One could do the same kind of video about 3D geometry or any other complex or
complicated but already well known feature.

Just showing a given UTC time in a chosen TZ should be easy peasy.

Author:

JerseyGirl689

Posted:

Sep 12, 2019 16:57

Subject:

Re: Change NPB Timeline

Viewed:

51 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, mscheaf writes:

In Suggestions, JerseyGirl689 writes:

In Suggestions, MidwestBrick writes:

I had enough of these in the last few weeks that waiting 2 full weeks is painful
to complete them.

I don't mind the 1 week to pay before it is started. But another full 7 days
to complete the NPB is not necessary.

I would propose 3 additional days and that is it. Let us get our stock back
in our stores to sell to someone else instead of being held at our will for 14
full days when 10 is plenty enough.

I can't be the only one that feels this way and 14 days might have worked
10-15 years ago when access to Smart-Phones wasn't as widespread, but these
days, you can't go far without having the ability to respond. Thanks

I completely agree, 7 days to open, 3 days to close, with or without a response.
If they have time to respond they can use that time to pay. If they can't
afford to pay, they shouldn't have made the purchase to start with.

Also, to those sellers who simply cancel and move on, you're leaving yourself
open to a retaliatory negative FB and enabling a NPB to continue doing the same
thing to other sellers. I have inventory held hostage right now for a NPB, despite
the fact his FB clearly shows this is a habit. If those sellers had used the
NPB process, as they should have, he would have been suspended and my inventory
would be free right now.

Darcy

Yes 90% of the time it is zero or low FB buyers, but that really doesn't
matter, it's still an undeserved blemish on your record. This is strangers
dealing with strangers, IMHO your reputation is just as important as your customer
service and parts quality.

And I do agree that I am making the problem worse by not following the process,
but the process just plain sucks and I'm not wasting my time dealing with
it.

You're right, the NPB process sucks, but it's all we have right now,
so we have to deal with it. Otherwise NPB's are going to continue wasting
our time and tying up our inventory for nothing.

I wish I could figure out the instant payment for the single boxed sets I sell.
I know exactly how much they will weigh and how big the shipping box is for each
sealed set I have. But I am just too stupid to figure it out. I really wish it
would just calculate it for me like ebay does. I'm considering actually just
offering free shipping and having instant payment but I would be buried so far
in the listings I would never be seen.

As for IC, haven't even tried so IDK. I pull and recheck every part, weigh
and manually send invoices. I want to know everything is perfect and correct
before invoicing and shipping. Actually if they implement their proposed changes
it seems we'll be forced to use IC, which is why I've started exploring
other options. It sucks, I've been here a long time and really like it,
but if or when they do force it on us I'll be closing my store and moving
on. This nonsense of if they payed too much you have to refund, if they paid
too little you have to eat it, doesn't work for me.

Darcy

Author:

hpoort

Posted:

Sep 12, 2019 16:36

Subject:

Re: Change time zone

Viewed:

44 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, HallBricks writes:

It would be great if I could change the time zone on BrickLink. Maybe not the
most necessary feature, but it feels like it wouldn't be that difficult of
a thing to implement.

Have you ever thought about it's complexity? See Tom Scott's YouTube
episode about implementing time zones in programming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wpm-gesOY

Hans-Peter

Author:

popsicle

Posted:

Sep 12, 2019 15:09

Subject:

Re: Change time zone

Viewed:

45 times

Topic:

In Suggestions, HallBricks writes:

It would be great if I could change the time zone on BrickLink. Maybe not the
most necessary feature, but it feels like it wouldn't be that difficult of
a thing to implement.

You no doubt know of Greenwich mean time, now you get to participate in BL time!

Vad klagar du på?

You're part of a few!

-Cory

Author:

mscheaf

Posted:

Sep 12, 2019 14:31

Subject:

Re: Change NPB Timeline

Viewed:

38 times

Topic: