[cbsmith]

Timezones don't exclusively belong to users... Most syslogs (up until systemd) are configured to write out logs in machine localized time. Same goes for web servers. Really, there are a ton of cases where servers need to consider their timezone. I don't much like it, but it nevertheless is true.

[JdeBP]

> Most syslogs ... servers need

You have been using poor logging softwares. For the past decade and a half (or more) some of us have been using logging softwares that write out logs without converting timestamps to a local format or a local time, relying rather upon log post-processing tools to convert them to different (sometimes multiple) timezones of our choosing and at whim when we want to read our logs. Our servers haven't needed to consider timezones for all of those years, and our log-writing softwares don't call a localtime() function of any stripe. Please do not tar us with your brush.

* http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/326166/5132

* http://jdebp.eu./Softwares/nosh/guide/log-post-processing.ht...

* http://jdebp.eu./Softwares/nosh/guide/timestamps.html

* https://sawmill.net/formats/qmail_tai64_n.html

* https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/2.4/plugins-filters...

* http://docs.projectcalico.org/v1.6/usage/troubleshooting/log...

[cbsmith]

I haven't been using them I hate the whole approach and defer any rendering of timestamps in logs. I'm just pointing out that it is very commonplace. Set up any distro's server distribution with the default settings and then track how often the localtime file gets touched...