Re: [FEATURE REQUEST] Timezone support in org-mode datestamps and org-agenda

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Tim Cross <theophilusx@gmail.com> [2023-01-15 01:13]:
> I think I basically agree with the last statement. However, perhaps we
> need to step back and ask ourselves what it is that people do want which
> drives this feature request. I doubt it is simply the ability to add TZ
> information to timestamps. I suspect the underlying motivation here is
> to have org mode actually use this information in a meaningful way,
> which essentially means all the complicated stuff I'm concerned about
> and which you seem to imply we wouldn't manage anyway.

It means for representation and calculations.

Person in East Africa writes task to somebody in Washington, with
deadline with time zone in Croatia, when notary has to sign a document
for somebody in Croatia. Because there is hypothetical timezone
parameter at file, or header level or timestamp level, then user in
Washington can see proper time in his time zone.

Representation should depend on user's local system. But how to know
how to display the time, without having time zone defined in first
place?

It requires global timezone parameter, heading and timestamp based.

Apparently it is confusing and asks for work. Sorry for that. It is
something one had to think ahead of time when dealing with people all
over the world. 

I think that any function reading timestamps should get its "bypass"
to re-calculate timestamp according to specified time zone.

If user Joe in East Africa wrote a meeting appointment with person in
Greek by Greek timezone, and sent that appointment to Washington, USA,
then person in Washington should read the time in his time zone, and
would know when is meeting accurately, in how many hours for him. 

Greek, East African and Washington people would all see different
times, but would meet accurately at same time.

> To put it another way, we need to clarify what people mean when they
> request the feature of timestamp support in org-mode datestamps. What
> does this actually mean? Is it as simple as just being able to specify
> the timezone (seems relatively easy to implement, but doens't really add
> much) or is the expectation that once you have time zone information, it
> will be used to do things like adjust date+time in agenda based on
> change in locale or change in daylight savings status etc.

I am sure that adjustments must come there. 

Practically, Org headings and files are easily shareable. Users in
different time zones could instead plan their own, receive the agenda
planned by other people, they would see it in their own calculated
time zone, while other people watching same agenda, would see it in
their own.

-- 
Jean

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