[mklepaczewski]

Serious question, why not adopt one timezone globally? For some of us sunrise would happen at 10pm, for others on 4pm. So what? Wouldn't we just get used to it? Is there any rationale for anchoring start of the day between 4am-8am?

[Tagbert]

Then you just need to implement a global system of determining how people's activities are aligned locally. What you end up with is timezones by another name.

Timezones are a lot less of a problem now that we are using calendar apps to book events. Better integration of tools to negotiate availability would make that even easier.

The problem that people largely govern their activities by the rotation of the earth and we are in different places on that globe doesn't go away.

[mklepaczewski]

But why I need to come up with system similar to timezones? You translate all hours once and that's it, no? It might be weird at first have business hours from 9pm to 3am, but those are just numbers. I don't find it any more weird than starting a day at 6am.

[Tagbert]

It’s not about local time. It is about a way to find out when someone at a distance is active and available. You need some method to know that. Timezones are such a method.

[dudul]

You would still need to remember to not call your buddy in LA at your "8am" when in NYC. Now you need to take into account what a 9-to-5 translates to for all parts of the world. Solves nothing.

[mklepaczewski]

It actually solves a lot, and I contact people on all continents multiple times per day. Currently when you want to schedule a meeting with a person in another timezone you need to do a bit of very confusing math (it's simple addition and subtraction, but one-off errors are rampant) and translate their time to yours. Most of the time both parties try to do it and it gets confusing. Lots of "your time or my time" questions. With universal time you both work with the same clock.

[dudul]

You're right. Let's completely change how humanity has done it for centuries so you and your friends don't spend 32sec looking up "current time in X" 2 or 3 times a day.

You would still need to do the effort of understanding what 10pm means for the other party. 10pm may be your lunchtime while it's the middle of the night for them.

[globular-toast]

Don't think people have been having calls across continents for centuries. Just 100 years ago the vast majority of the population would never have encountered another time zone.

[globular-toast]

You still have to know a bit about your buddy, though. You can probably assume he'll be awake at his midday, but what about 7:00? Is he an early riser? Or does he have other commitments at that time? In reality you'll just learn you can call around 16:00 your time. At that point it's just a number and doesn't matter what it is.

If things really were more complicated and you always needed to ask the question of "when can I call today", would it really be that difficult to incorporate schedules into contact records so your phone can tell you "available after 23 today".

[Tagbert]

Those schedules are just timezones in disguise

[globular-toast]

Sort of, but not really. I know what time is convenient to call my parents and they live in the same time zone as me. I don't work it out every time based on what the "normal" schedule is. And that's not to mention who actually calls people randomly over text now anyway?

[thatfrenchguy]

https://qntm.org/abolish

[nurumaik]

>I want to call my Uncle Steve in Melbourne. What time is it there?

With timezones: google "what time is it in melbourne"

Without timezones: google "when morning starts in melbourne"

Didn't convince me a little

[tempaccount420]

Yeah, sunrise/sunset can differ widely even in the same timezone.

[globular-toast]

I think a lot it comes down to pride. Nobody wants to be the country that works 23-7. We all want the "nice" numbers the UK picked for itself.

[mklepaczewski]

Well, I might be weird but I have zero problem with it. I also would happily learn a new language if the world would agree on universal one.

[katbyte]

No I imagine not as mid day and midnight have meaning and that changes them from roughly 12 and 12

[globular-toast]

Midday and midnight should be based only on the sun. Midday is when the sun is at the highest and midnight is half way between middays. Whether midday corresponds with 12ish on the clock or any other time doesn't really matter. The point of your parent comment is people would just get used to midday being around 18ish or work starting at 03:00 etc.