Re: [POLL] Proposed syntax for timestamps with time zone info (was: [FEATURE REQUEST] Timezone support in org-mode datestamps and org-agenda)

[Jean Louis]

* Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> [2023-02-01 15:42]:
> Indeed. Org is used by a variety of users with different needs. What I
> just demonstrated is that specifying the time zone is not always
> necessary in timestamps.

Specifying time zone in time stamps is not necessary!

But using the time zone is necessary if developers wish to provide
accuracy of time calculations for users.

Using the time zone is built-in, it is just matter of representation
of time at export or exchanges.

And time zone could be changed from the default system time, inside of
the time stamp, if not there, inside of heading property, if not
there, inside of the file time stamp property.

That way majority of time stamps can remain how they are with addition
of specification of time zone property.

> Note that my proposal allows specifying the time zone when you need
> it.

Thank you!

That is good proposal.

> Or not specifying it and specifying the UTC offset only.

If you mean, specifying _local time_ plus UTC offset, then that is not
how you can exchange information with participants in meeting. That is
unsure.

But if you mean specifying _UTC time_ plus the UTC offset, that is
alright to derive local time from it.

Preceding condition is that such UTC time plus the UTC offset was
calculated correctly.

And there need not be the ultimate goal in Org that all kinds of time
stamps can be calculated for the future.

That shall be the job of the function to verify if the timestamp can
be re-calculated or not, and function may warn the user to update it
with missing time zone.

Read "Putting It All Together"
https://spin.atomicobject.com/2016/07/06/time-zones-offsets/

Are you going to implement the connection to time zone database?

-- 
Jean

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