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

[Philip Paeps]

On 2021-05-30 07:45:45 (+0800), Derick Rethans via tz wrote:
> On 30 May 2021 00:29:28 BST, Paul Eggert via tz <tz at iana.org> wrote:
>> On 5/29/21 1:09 PM, John Hawkinson wrote:
>>> There is a big difference between (1) "MERGING zones across modern
>> countries" and (2) allowing to persist "zones [that] have crossed
>> national boundaries for decades."
>>
>> It's a big difference only to those closely following the history of
>> tzdb. It's not a big difference to users.
>
> Referencing https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6557
>
> Dear Paul, you've had a lot of push back to this change, as per the 
> "Procedures for Maintaining the Time Zone Database" the TZ Coordinator 
> "SHOULD take into account views expressed on the mailing list."
>
> I would very much appreciate it if you'd at least listen to the 
> feedback you've gotten on this change, and I'd argue that from what 
> I've read, that this list is not OK with this proposed change.

One of the things I like a lot about the tzdb project is the spirited 
discussions we have on this mailing list about proposed changes.

Anyone who has been subscribed to the list for a while (or who spends 
some time reading the archives) will be aware that feedback is indeed 
taken into account.

This specific change has evolved a lot since its initial proposal.

It's also worth pointing out again to those unfamiliar with the way tzdb 
is usually distributed (e.g in operating systems distributions), that 
Paul's proposed change is largely invisible to most users.  Most tzdb 
downstreams link in backzone.  Data is merely being moved to a different 
place.  It's not actually being removed.

Philip

-- 
Philip Paeps
Senior Reality Engineer
Alternative Enterprises