Okay, but how is Feb 19, 2007 relevant information to you? If you were trying to schedule something based on your HN Join date, then i suppose you want the actual date. In the general case though, the date on your profile is only used by other members (or maybe moderators) to get a rough idea of how long you've been a member for. I can look at your profile, see 2012 days, and understand immediately that you've been an HN member for a long time. I've learned everything i need to know, and i've learned it quicker than i would have by reading a full date and subtracting it from today's date.
sometimes you need a relative date. sometimes you need an absolute date. saying one is always bad and the other is always good is stupid, it all depends on the context.
Why are you worrying about how it's relative to me? That's not your problem to solve.
We have a system for understanding time that is universal around the world. Instead of presenting me with information that is in that format, you're making up a new one for no good reason.
saying one is always bad and the other is always good is stupid,
Well, yes, which is why I didn't say anything like that.
sometimes you need a relative date. sometimes you need an absolute date. saying one is always bad and the other is always good is stupid, it all depends on the context.