If a date sorts correctly in one version of a tool but refuses to behave in another, the tool is the problem. That is the plain truth of the situation described by this user. The frustration is not with the data itself, but with a system that should handle the same input the same way, regardless of where you open it. Consistency is the baseline expectation for any spreadsheet application, and when that baseline breaks, the tool stops being reliable.
What this user experienced is a failure of portability. They entered dates on the desktop version, where sorting and formatting worked as expected. Then they moved to the online version, the same tool, from the same company, and the dates became uncooperative. Retyping, copying, pasting, and reapplying formats all failed. That is not a user error. It is a signal that the online environment treats data differently than the desktop environment, and it does so without warning. For anyone managing schedules, project timelines, or reporting deadlines, this kind of inconsistency introduces real risk. A date that looks correct but sorts incorrectly can derail an entire analysis.
The practical takeaway is this: when a tool cannot guarantee that a simple date will sort the same way across its own platforms, you are not the one who needs to adapt. The burden should not fall on the user to discover workarounds for a fundamental feature. Spreadsheets are supposed to abstract complexity away, not add new layers of it depending on where you happen to be working. If the online version cannot match the desktop version's behavior, then the online version is not ready for serious use.
Our view is straightforward: users deserve tools that respect their time and their data. Sorting dates is not a premium feature. It is table stakes. If a spreadsheet platform asks you to trust it with your work, it must deliver the same results in every environment it supports. Until that consistency is guaranteed, the smartest move is to test your data in every place you plan to use it, and to hold the tool accountable when it fails. Do not spend another hour retyping a column of dates. The problem is not with your typing.