Timezone for data returned

[J]

I've searched this forum, and also saw this https://support.google.com/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55512 so I think I know the answer but I just wanted to confirm on this forum.

Analytics data is recorded based on the profile's timezone setting at the time?  If a user then changes the timezone setting, old data is still returned based on the previous timezone?

Doesn't this mean that it's impossible to know if the data returned from the reporting API is accurately aligned with the current timezone setting?  I can query for the current profile timezone setting, but this doesn't really help since old data is still returned based on old timezone settings (which I have no way of knowing since I can only query for the current timezone).

This seems like a big problem.  Am I missing something?

[J]

Anyone have additional insight into this timezone issue?

Based on the information here: https://support.google.com/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55512, I believe there's no way to know if historical data is aligned to the timezone since a user can change the timezone setting for the profile.

If this is the case, is there any reason for me to retrieve the profile timezone (via the Management API) if it's not going to accurately describe all historical data, but only the current data.

If I do retrieve the profile timezone, does this mean I should regularly check this setting since the user can change it at anytime?

Any tips here would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[J]

Can someone from GA respond to this?

[Nick]

Hi Yes,

So this isn't an issue with the API, it's how GA works.

Data is processed in the timezone of the configured account. GA stores
data by day. If a session crosses a day boundary, the session is split
into 2 and a session is saved for the previous day. The current day
continues to persist. Also when data is processed and stored, the
timezone is used to compute the hour for each hit. After this happens,
since the data is stored by day, and hour is calculated, timezone
isn't used.

So if you play with your timezone settings a lot, the impact is that
some sessions might might be reported in different days (depending on
cross over) and hourly reports might be off.

Unfortunately, there is no change history with configuration data to
determine when this setting has changed.
-Nick

On Feb 27, 8:30 am, J <ja...@sumall.com> wrote:
> Can someone from GA respond to this?
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> On Tuesday, February 21, 2012 4:43:27 PM UTC-5, J wrote:
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> > Anyone have additional insight into this timezone issue?
>
> > Based on the information here:

> >https://support.google.com/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer...,