I often want to see the date on a post to see if the info in the post is still relevant me or my readers. When it comes to software for instance or a review or business things change so quickly that i need to know whether I am reading the most current information. Also, if I go to a blog i want to know if it’s regularly updated. If the last post is March 08 and we are in August, then I won’t waste my time – I will move on.

I wonder if not putting a date on posts (except in certain circumstances) is a way to try and disguise irregular or infrequent posting. Regardless, if there’s no date on the posts, I’ll move on and get my bearings elsewhere.

Well ,my blog is quite light for now, ie only two dozens of posts, and parallel to adding new content and improving its look I’m still in the process of including some of my protoblog (which is the name I now give to my old now offline site) so I particularly have this question about dates in mind.

I guess this is like going throught older posts and question about their place in the actual context.

The topics aborded in my (now personal and generalist) blog are still very actual (human rights, energy, prices, drms, and the like).
So :
* I date them with their first publishing date,
* I add a note saying they are a re-publish and their re-publish date.
* I think I will bring them back to the “front” through a few new posts resuming how the situation about these topics has (or not) evolved.

For this kind of “reminder posts” and republishes, date is important.

For non recurrent, or more intemporal topics older posts maybe the trick would be to make them into non dated articles, as often suggested.

PS and off topic: “Problogger” book has been delivered to my mailbox last thirsday.
Have a nice day,

Jean

So, a big yes to article dates.

I check the date of the posts I read because they may not be applicable if they are very old. Things change, you know.

If a post is timeless, then it won’t matter that what date the article is published. The content is still valid.

However, I am thinking about taking the dates of my other blog because they are not so time sensitive.

Some “blogs” now are actually merely websites, hawking their wares or ideas, yet allowing for comments. And then you have “blogs” all across the spectrum from those two extremes.

So each “blogger” has to decide to date his posts according to his blog’s purposes. I think that’s come through clearly through many of the comments already posted.

If your site is acting purely as a CMS, then I don’t believe date are necessary on the posts. Having a date will make the site look too much like a blog.

But of course, on a blog I feel that dates are very important. By having a date, you are revealing to your reader your posting schedule. Which makes visitors keep coming back.

But i dont show the date on the individual blog posts.

In this sense, it doesn’t matter, Darren, whether or not you include dates in your posts for one can always figure out how old content really is.

But to a larger point, imagine walking into a library or bookstore and having no idea how to qualify the age of a book if the copyright date was not present. There goes the “rare book” world.

Personally, keep dates. They serve to preserve the past and allow us to know who we are and where we came from.

When I post an update of my monthly spending I put a date on it because this is something that comes out at least twice a week.

I also put date on my CVS shopping experiences because I want my readers to know how I did with that current week’s deals and specials.