[tz] On merging timezones - a radical proposal.

[John Hawkinson]

I think all the proposals are a mistake (dropping zone.tab, merging
timezones, etc.).

We may like to pretend the tz database doesn't contain political
information, but it simply is not so.

We may like to think users don't use TZ idenfiers, but it simply isn't
so.

Forcing users who are happy with their current identifiers to use
other ones (or making the ones they are currently using non-canonical)
will simply annoying people and create a lot of stress.

I think we are best served with the status quo.


( But of course, I also think that in the US, users should use
US/Eastern instead of America/New_York, and that should be presented
by tzselect and friends. )

--jhawk at mit.edu
  John Hawkinson