I just installed the latest UL mod. I could help but notice the dates are futuristic and putting them at the bottom of my Wrye list.
I'm talking 12/11. Why? This will not allow a fresh Mash list .esp AND a TesTool objects merge list to be at the very bottom were
they belong. Can anyone explain this? Should I not Mash and merge objects with the UL's ticked? Thanks!

i think its so that the mod loads last, something about the changes made not being overwritten by other mods later in the load list

I have seen some that do the opposite, setting really old dates so that they load first. Generally the authors have good reason for wanting it to load last, such as commonly modded objects needing to be overwritten, for example. You can still easily use Mash to put Mashed Lists at the end of the line, or let mlox sort it automatically for you to clear that up.

Well, usually mods dated in future are such for a reason. Either it is to guarantee that no other mod will overwrite its data, or when some other mod's data is specifically meant to be overwritten (for example, to provide compatibility patches in case that the player does *not* use Mash and/or TesTool's merged lists). In other words, when an author timestamps his mod with a future date, he thereby declares that his mod's needs are more urgent and should take priority over general mod compatibility considerations. If you're not particularly modding-savvy, it's usually wise to just believe him; otherwise it's worth to check the real situation with TESPCD and act from there upon your own discretion.

So...never change the mash list .esp and merge object list .esp date to load last in situations like this? I do recall reading something about not
to merge objects in the read me of UL. :shrug: I need to verify this though. I'm assuming by the future dating the author doesn't want his mod
merged or mashed. Thanks!