Xref: utzoo comp.std.internat:743 comp.mail.headers:608
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!ox.com!lokkur!scs
From: scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
Newsgroups: comp.std.internat,comp.mail.headers
Subject: Re: Time zone names on mail outside North America
Message-ID: <1990Dec14.130316.21515@lokkur.dexter.mi.us>
Date: 14 Dec 90 13:03:16 GMT
References: <1990Dec13.173731.531@zoo.toronto.edu> <1990Dec13.180844.15200@mp.cs.niu.edu> <1990Dec14.000511.2507@zoo.toronto.edu> <1990Dec14.004807.10995@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Organization: Inland Sea
Lines: 23

rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:

> I read what you said, including the second sentence.  There are many user
>interfaces that are useful for reading mail.  I count 'cat', and 'more'
>amongst them.  And I don't think too many people will approve of 'fixing'
>these to convert dates.

Best joke I've heard all day.  `We're going to keep all timestamps in
local zone so our readers can use cat to read mail and not have to
think about how to convert from GMT.'  Oh yeah, you can read raw
mailboxes with cat and more.  `Possible', yes.  Useful?  Not compared
to a real user mail agent.  To do a reducto ad absurdum, ingres should
be modified to keep data in ASCII with tags, so we can read it with
cat.  :-)

If somebody wants to read the raw bits, we're under no obligation to
make it simpler for them.  Using a GMT and offset makes it easier on
the rest the software in the world.  User mail agents can't and
shouldn't be expected to know every nook and cranny of time
conventions.
-- 
"SO be it!  The fate of the UNIVERSE is in your hands!"
"Talk about job-related stress."