Is there an actual point to daylight savings?

[Pony Soldier]

Ever since we had to turn our clocks one hour ahead this year (I live in the eastern part of the US) I've been wondering, is there an actual point to this? Does this help us in any way that we have to keep doing this every year? I think the concept of time in itself is stupid but this just makes no sense to me. I heard from someone that it had something to do with farmers, I forget what it was now. Why can't we just have one time and not have to turn our clocks back and forth every year?

[Wilian]

It makes winter day just a bit longer which is okay to me.

Back before the company I worked in bankrupted, I'd go to work when it was dark in the morning, and it'd be dark again when I left the work. Pretty grim eh! With daylight saving I could have at least one hour of light when getting out.

[Kujako]

Saves on candles according to Benjamin Franklins original proposal. But I think he was being sarcastic and no one got the joke.

[Chelly]

To torture you.

[Sinndra]

as i understand it.. DLS had a real reason several decades ago, to help stimulate the factories and the economy during the war. taking advantage of the longer sunlight hours of spring and summer, and helping to conserve energy in the lower hours of sunlight in fall and winter. this had a big impact during those decades, however technology has driven us beyond the need for DLS. stores being open 24hrs, and the internet being infinitely available added to energy saving machines means we observe DLS more out of habit than necessity.

i just think its time to move past DLS and just set our clocks for the year.

[Tya]

Farmers lobby pretty hard to keep DST intact.

[Deleted]

The article I read about it said that what you safe in energy for the Light is consumed by heating in the morning might have a better bilance in warmer climate.

[Orcbert]

http://www.history.com/news/8-things...ht-saving-time

[Kuntantee]

It decreases energy consumption as far as I know.

[Masark]

It decreases energy consumption as far as I know.

That's what Congress says, but the actual data doesn't back them up (as usual). It may actually increase electricity consumption.

[Pony Soldier]

I see. Well, I still think it's stupid and I think it's about time that we just have one time set for life. I really can't see anything bad happening if this were to happen. It's not like if we don't turn our clocks back or forward an hour the Earth will spin out of control or something.

Thanks anyway for the info.

[Jester Joe]

Relevant kinda

But I have no idea, seems like a weird idea, always thought it just was for, well, saving daylight.

[Cirque]

Saves on candles according to Benjamin Franklins original proposal. But I think he was being sarcastic and no one got the joke.

It makes the winter day less dark. That's why it's called daylight saving time. It's less depressing like this.

Here it's dark at 5 pm with saving time, else it would be dark at 4 pm. There's places where it's even worse.

[Krazzorx]

What I've always heard was it was for farmers to have more daylight to harvest crops.

Idk if its true or not but sounds plausible at least.

[Masark]

What I've always heard was it was for farmers to have more daylight to harvest crops.

Idk if its true or not but sounds plausible at least.

No, it isn't plausible. It doesn't make the time between sunrise and sunset any longer. Farmers don't give a fuck what the clock says.

[Deleted]

What I've always heard was it was for farmers to have more daylight to harvest crops.

Idk if its true or not but sounds plausible at least.

Plausible as it may be, it's still stupid. If at 6 AM is too dark to go for your crops, go at 7. If it's already dark at 6 PM, stop at 5. No need to change the clock, just change the goddamn schedule if that helps you.
I would even advocate for one single clock time around the world, the new generation would grow with it and wouldn't find it strange at all to have Tuesday become Wednesday just before sunset...

[worprz]

It kind of has a point, it obviously doesn't make anymore sunlight. It is just rearranging your schedule so there is more sunlight in your day. But it doesn't help too much, because some people will always sleep in really late or work nights. I like it though because the sun doesn't go down in the summer till around 10. It's probably more of a mental thing than anything else. At the same time though they could get rid of it and I wouldn't care at all, it wouldn't make a difference other than I would never have to f** with my sleep schedule.

Also what time would it be if daylight savings was never around? For example it is 2:00 right now in the summer, but it would be 1:00 in the winter. So if we never had daylight savings would we be in summer time or winter time?

[thatguy181]

To make my life absolutely miserable I'm fairly certain. I'd kill for DST to go away. Make my job a LOT easier to just deal with a guaranteed 24 hours a day. Instead I get to deal with programs that crap bricks when days suddenly have 25 hours or only 23.

[poser765]

I see. Well, I still think it's stupid and I think it's about time that we just have one time set for life. I really can't see anything bad happening if this were to happen. It's not like if we don't turn our clocks back or forward an hour the Earth will spin out of control or something.

Thanks anyway for the info.

I don't really see what the big deal is. Ok sure it's confusing, but it's only confusing for about 30 minutes. Even now days my phone and watch change automatically so it's not even complicated at all. If an hour time shift either way is enough to seriously upset your sleep habits you have larger issues than daylight savings time.

[Garnier Fructis]

The point of daylight savings is to make me show up late to exams.

That, and it gets people to actually read the manuals, because who actually remembers how to set the time on their watches?