Please explain my confused me like I’m 5 (0r 4 or 6).

  • lyth@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    7 months ago

    Years are ordinal numbers, the kind of number that tells you which place you finished in a race, and as such cannot have zeroes or negatives. You’re living in the 2,024th year since the instant that began the Common Era. “0th” and “-1st” are not valid expressions for years for the same reason that you can’t place 0th in the Olympics

      • ShaunaTheDead@fedia.io
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        7 months ago

        Ordinals are largely used for counting and when you’re counting you kind of do start a zero, most people just don’t say it. When you count 1… 2… 3… it would work just as well to start 0… 1… 2… 3… So programmers can rest easy.