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

[Thomas S. Dye]

Aloha Max,

Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com> writes:

> 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.

I'm curious to find out how the distinction between past and 
future makes a difference.  

> 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.

I'm curious to learn the classification unrelated to these three 
cases used to determine when to store UTC and timezone.

> 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.

I'm curious what these preferences are, or might be.

> > 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.

Agreed.  The boss needs to inform you what her local time will be 
for the meeting by sending you a timestamp with a time zone. 
Ideally, Org would know how to associate the timestamp with a 
recurring item stored locally.

> 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.

Nowadays, I am frequently asked by applications to give permission 
for using my location.  When I give it, the application reports 
back with my local postal code, etc.  I'm assuming Org can use 
location to determine my current timezone.

All the best,
Tom

--
Thomas S. Dye
https://tsdye.online/tsdye