Subj : Re: Message Timezones
To   : Dream Master
From : Digital Man
Date : Fri Apr 01 2022 17:49:43

  Re: Re: Message Timezones
  By: Dream Master to Digital Man on Thu Mar 31 2022 09:29 pm

 > -=> Digital Man wrote to Dream Master <=-
 >
 >  DM>   Re: Message Timezones
 >  DM>   By: Dream Master to Digital Man on Thu Mar 31 2022 10:47 am
 >
 >  > Whenever I read through QWK and FTN-based messages, I see each message
 >  > tagged with a timezone or offset.
 >
 >  DM> Unfortunately, not all messages are.
 >
 > Standards, it seems that we lack standards.  :)

Well there are standard methods of representing the timezone information, but not requirement that it's actually included. Backwards-compatiblity, lowest-common-denominator, etc.

 >  > This is great, yet I also feel it isn't
 >  > necessary. Instead, why can't we inquire with the user during sign-up and
 >  > within the Default User Config.
 >
 >  DM> I've considered it. Users do move around however, sometimes between
 >  DM> time zones. The BBS usually stays in one time zone.
 >
 > Really?  Why would users move around?

Uh, "calling" into a BBS while traveling. I do it myself when traveling.

 > If our users are connecting into our
 > systems, they still have a "home" location, such as PST8PDT or MST7MDT (old
 > school, but America/Los Angeles or America/Denver).  I think I'm trying to
 > compare BBSes and our users to that of business e-mail and messaging systems
 > (Teams, Slack, Exchange, etc.) where each is configured to the user's
 > timezone and the BBS is configured to whatever timezone it is sourced at.
 > Even if we configure everything to UTC, user offsets could still be a
 > "thing".

Yup, they could. For convert-on-display purposes or for timestamping the data (messges) sent by the user.

 >  DM> If the standard was to timestamp messagse in UTC, then at least for
 >  DM> message creation, it would be a moot point (what zone the BBS or the
 >  DM> author was in), but unfortunately, that's not how existing BBS message
 >  DM> networks work. The date/time stamps of messages are generally expected
 >  DM> to be in the local time of the BBS.
 >
 > Very valid point.  Just one of those "nice to have" things.
 >
 >  DM> A message reader could already do that in theory: just display a
 >  DM> message's timestamp in UTC or convert to the user's preferred zone on
 >  DM> the fly.
 >
 >  DM> I kind of like seeing the originating timezone and the local time
 >  DM> myself however. <shrug> --
 >
 > I'd love to see a message reader do that.  Now, if I can only find the time
 > in my overly hectic life to add something to our message readers.  And your
 > shrug, I support it.  I do like seeing where people are at, generally
 > speaking.

Yeah, it should be possible for a message reader to display both/either at the user's preference too.
-- 
                                            digital man (rob)

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