Why this page exists#
Readers should be able to judge whether an article is worth trusting. This page explains how every Timelive article is made, so you can hold us to it.
What we publish#
Timelive publishes guides about time zones, daylight saving time and time conversion, explainers about the tools on this site, and longer stories about the history of timekeeping. We write for people who need an answer: a traveller, a remote team, a student, a developer.
How we research#
- We start from primary and authoritative sources. Standards bodies, national metrology laboratories, observatories, museums and archives, official government notices and the IANA time zone database come first. Encyclopaedias and news articles are used for context, not as the only support for a claim.
- We cite what we use. Every article ends with a list of sources. We only link to pages that came up in our research and that cover the subject of the claim. When sources disagree, we say so instead of quietly picking one, and a detail we cannot confirm from more than one independent source is left out or marked as uncertain.
- We compute what can be computed. UTC offsets, the dates clocks change and time conversions are calculated from the IANA time zone data for the exact date in question. They are never written from memory.
- We separate fact from legend. History is full of good stories that are not true. When a popular claim is disputed or unproven, we say so and explain what is actually known.
How we write#
- Each article opens with a short summary of the main points, so you can decide quickly whether it answers your question.
- We explain terms in plain language and show worked examples with real dates.
- We date every article and show when it was last updated. An article's "Updated" date changes only when its content changes.
Use of AI tools#
Our articles are researched and drafted with the help of AI writing tools. AI output can be wrong, so we do not publish it unchecked: each article goes through a separate, independent fact-checking pass in which individual claims, numbers and dates are compared with sources found by new searches and recomputed from time zone data where possible. Claims that cannot be supported are removed or reworded. We tell you this so you can weigh our work accordingly, and we are responsible for what we publish.
Independence and conflicts of interest#
- We do not take payment for articles or links. There are no sponsored posts, no affiliate links and no advertising on Timelive.
- Articles often point to Timelive's own free tools because they solve the problem the article describes. We mark these clearly as tools on our own site.
Updates and corrections#
- Rules change. Governments change daylight saving rules and time zones, sometimes with little notice. We review time-sensitive articles when we learn of a change and update them.
- Corrections. When we learn of an error, we fix the article and update its "Updated" date. If a mistake could have misled a reader in a way that matters, such as a wrong meeting time rule, we say what changed in the article.
- Reports from readers. If you believe something is wrong, tell us and give a source if you have one. We will check it against our sources and correct the article if you are right.
What we are not#
Timelive is not a legal, medical, travel-safety or financial advisor. Where the exact time has legal force, for example a filing deadline or a flight departure, confirm it with the official source for that situation.
See also: about Timelive and the privacy policy.