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

[Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com>]

On 21/01/2023 07:37, Thomas S. Dye wrote:
>>> 1) Occurrence, where the timestamp includes UTC;
>>> 2) Event relative to user, where the timestamp does not include UTC 
>>> or a time zone; and 3)
>>> Event not relative to user, where the timestamp includes the relevant 
>>> time zone.

For a while I prefer to concentrate on future timestamps and postpone 
discussion of ones in the past.

As to format for storage timestamps in Org files, particular timestamps 
may have or not explicitly specified timezones, but it is unrelated to 
these 3 cases. It may be convenient to keep work.org file with TIMEZONE 
keyword for location of the office and do not specify it for each 
timestamps, so during a trip it allows to see correct time of regular 
meetings. In addition you may have personal.org file where most 
timestamps assumes timezone of your current presence. In both files some 
timestamps may have explicit timezone either "local follow me", UTC, or 
for particular location.

 From my point of view these, 3 cases might be relevant to date-time 
picker UI, but not for storage format. While parsing, interpretation of 
each timestamp without explicit timezone depends on preferences chosen 
at higher scope.

> Or, it might be a recurring virtual meeting that the boss wants to 
> initiate at 9:00 AM her time, regardless of the time zone she happens to 
> inhabit, as might happen on a business trip.

I believe that some manual action is required in this case anyway. You 
almost certainly already have 9:00 AM in your agenda as a reoccurring 
timestamp either with implicit or explicit timezone of usual presence. 
For the period of the trip it is necessary to add series of meetings 
with explicitly specified timezones (UTC or locations during the trip). 
Another approach is to define ad hoc "boss" timezone and update it to 
reflect all trips.

At the Org side it might be support of multiple ad hoc "timezones": a 
one for you personal trips and several ones for people you frequently 
communicate with. It is a nice option, but might be too complicated for 
usage. It may be easier to suspend regular entry and to add custom ones 
with no requirements related to the code. Anyway it assumes some 
communication between participants.