A client of ours recently asked for an update to the copy of a page on their site. At the top of a big pile of miscellaneous acronyms and hardware and software system names was the following: "Our technology interfaces with client systems globally to provide seamless transfer of data from our multiple locations to our clients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
Being the overanalytical and cynical wordsmith that I am I immediately thought: "That's actually 365¼ days, nub" and "What about leap years?" Then I thought about how overused a lot of these kinds of terms are and that's when the following IM conversation took place; I was pondering the exact need to state "24/7/365" when it's probably OK to assume that when someone says something goes on "24 hours a day" it covers all 7 days of the week as well as all 365¼ days of the year:
++++++++++
Names changed to protect the innocent?
"Rando Jones" says (9:43 AM):
When you hear "24 hours a day" do you assume that the action takes place every day non-stop including holidays and birthdays or do you assume that there's gotta be like one day where they system goes out to lunch to get some fish and the action stops?
"Jet" says (9:44 AM):
that would be 23 hours a day right?
"Rando Jones" says (9:45 AM):
Well, it'd be "24 hours a day except one day where it's 23 'cuz the system wanted some fish".
"Jet" says (9:45 AM):
so...
"Jet" says (9:45 AM):
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 364 days a year
"Jet" says (9:45 AM):
sort of
"Rando Jones" says (9:46 AM):
Saying "24 hours a day, 365 days a year" obviously leaves out leap years or at least the 6 hours of extra revolution time accumulated each year (that is consolidated into February 29th every 4th year).
"Jet" says (9:48 AM):
There you go...that leaves an average of 1.5 hours each year to go get some fish
"Rando Jones" says (9:48 AM):
That's the perfect time to hack <censored>'s system! It's totally not secure while it's getting fish!
"Jet" says (9:49 AM):
hacking the code of when they go get fish is the key
"Rando Jones" says (9:49 AM):
You mean .. hacking the system into getting fish when you want it to, not when it's a regularly scheduled "get fish" task?
"Jet" says (9:52 AM):
I see, so you infect with some kind of "GoGetFish" worm or virus at a designated time
"Rando Jones" says (9:55 AM):
1: KeepSystemSecure();
2: if (timeToGetFish) goto 4;
3: goto 1;
4: GoGetFish();
5: System.Sleep(3600000); //sleep for an hour
6: goto 1;
"Jet" says (9:55 AM):
LOL
~~~~~~~~~~
If you really must assure your clientèle that your processes run non-stop and without sounding like every security camera, pest control, and adult undergarment provider in the world, why not use "all day, every day" instead? At least no one'll be able to compare you to a company known for enabling people to poo themselves at-will.
Oh, and incidentally, this is the same client that wants us to take screenshots of the entire Intarwebs. Here's a handy link: Bad press release archiving idea.
-Some Rando