Computer clocks and Relativity

[andre kesteloot]

Richard Barth wrote:
> At 07:15 PM 2/27/2010, andre kesteloot wrote:
>> Gang,
>>
>> An acquaintance of mine owns a laptop running Windows XP.
>> He lives in Maryland, hence within same time-zone as mine in Virginia.
>> The little icon located at bottom right of his screen indicates the 
>> actual real current time.
>>
>> If he sends out an e-mail message, however, the msg will be dated 
>> differently.
>>
>> A msg that I send him at 1600H is marked, when he receives it, as 
>> being dated earlier in time, i.e., at 15:34H, about 1/2 hour earlier 
>> than real time
>> If he writes to me at 16:00H, it will be marked on my computer as 
>> having been sent at 16:37H, or about 1/2 later than real time
>>
>> Is this a   --so far unexplained--  effect of special relativity ?
>>
>
> No, it means that Maryland is at least a half hour ahead of Virginia.  
> :-)
of course, I had forgotten, Maryland is a progressive state :-)
Thanks for that helpful hint  ;-)
André