[tz] [PROPOSED] Merge timezones that are alike since 1970

[Stephen Trainor]

> To me, the two tables provide very different needs to two very different sets of users. Let the O/S teams use table 1, let the history-related app developers use a constantly improving backtable.

As a history-related app developer (astronomy), I can only speak authoritatively for my own code, but I suspect the same applies to the vast majority of similar apps out there: I’ve never consumed tzdb data directly, but rely instead on OS implementations for historical data in native applications (and NPM libraries for web applications).

I’m doubtful this distinction between sets of users is actually valid in practical terms, even though consumption of historical data is likely a drop in the overall ocean.

Even if developers could consume backzone information directly, will they? Reimplementing tz-related logic in order to do so would be a big task from my perspective.

Stephen

Sent from my iPhone