[tz] Opaque tz names (was: Re: Reason for removal of several TZ)

[Paul.Koning at dell.com]

> On Dec 5, 2017, at 3:33 AM, Guy Harris <guy at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> 
> On Dec 4, 2017, at 10:22 PM, Philip Paeps <philip at trouble.is> wrote:
> 
>> What problem are we trying to solve here?
>> 
>> Every couple of weeks someone asks on tz@ why their timezone is called City X instead of City Y or why City Z is not in the tzdb.  Every now and again that turns into a lengthy discussion on politics.  That problem is easily solved with a polite, terse reply pointing at the theory.
> 
> How about the problem of "the questions keep being asked", a solution to which would have to prevent the question from being asked, or, at least, reduce the frequency with which it's asked and, if that's not possible, at *least* arrange that people don't argue back once we've pointed them at the theory.

I don't think that "people keep asking a question that's already adequately answered in the theory file which they didn't read" is a reason to change things.  Some questions are not worth answering.

Opaque names may be no help at all.  Political trolls still will find a way to troll.  And substituting, say, lat/long for a name doesn't help because that's just a nickname for a particular place, and people will still ask why THAT place and not the place they prefer.

	paul