Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Time to Dump Time Zones

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

521–530 of 555 posts

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#521

Post by Dylan16807 »

henrikschroder wrote: post #511
Dylan16807 wrote: post #468

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>there's simply not enough sunlight in the day, and shifting it back and forth doesn't do squat. If you could move the daylight hours without breaking everyone's schedules, I would bet that filling 4pm through 8pm with sunlight would be very effective.

I would bet that's highly individual, some people would love the sunlight in the morning to help them wake up, others would like it on their lunch break, and some, like you, would like it in the evening. Tough cookie. :-)

I'm not really talking about when I want sunlight. I'm talking about the ability for sunlight to affect you. In the morning? That's half an hour through a window. At lunch? Slightly longer, still not much. In the evening? You can go outside and really soak in the sun. Evening is the only part of day where people are consistently both awake and able to go somewhere sunny for an extended period.

Alternatively we could shut everything down for a while starting midmorning.

Or keep going as we do now, with the sun not being a priority.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#522

Post by smsm42 »

cyberferret wrote: post #118
smsm42 wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not outdated. Of course, if the only thing you do is programming and you never intend to leave the house, then it may be outdated. Otherwise, most establishments still have working hours - that may not be exactly 9-5 but pretty close to that framework - and people still have breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and there are a lot of business and social conventions based on those assumptions. Some jobs have the luxu…

I propose that it should be outdated though. Does a lawyer have to be in the office at 8am to finish drafting that closing statement for his hearing next week? Does an accountant have to finish his client's tax assessment before 5pm? I know lots of lawyers and accountants who do that stuff at all hours - exactly the same hours as I do my programming work. 20 years ago, I used to do the whole 'business lunch' thing wi…

Lawyers and accountants can - and do - keep flexible hours when not dealing with clients. When dealing with clients, there's still expectations that the lawyer would be able to meet you somewhere within 9-5, and not at 2am. Of course, there are exceptions, but that's a convention. People want to have lives outside job, so there should be an agreement when we have "meeting points" that we're expected to be on the job, and when there's no promise.

> just a placeholder for "Oh, well those are the official times that denote when I will be available to do work stuff"

It's not "just", it's very important coordination point. If lawyers kept random hours and you needed a lawyer, it's be much harder for you to find one because you'd also look for one that has suitable hours. Not impossible, but harder. To lower transactional costs, the hours are roughly synchronized.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#523

Post by the_watcher »

stouset wrote: post #246
the_watcher wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, you aren't contrarian. Remove timezones, and it still doesn't help me sort out if it's morning in Italy yet, or if business hours have started. In fact, it's more difficult, since I'd then have to figure out what Italian business hours are.

You still have to figure out what Italian business hours are in the current system. Do they show up to work at 9? 8? 10? I don't know, do you?

I know that Italian business hours do not start at 18:00:00. That's absolutely not a fair example.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#524

Post by the_watcher »

lmm wrote: post #404
the_watcher wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, you aren't contrarian. Remove timezones, and it still doesn't help me sort out if it's morning in Italy yet, or if business hours have started. In fact, it's more difficult, since I'd then have to figure out what Italian business hours are.

> No, you aren't contrarian. Remove timezones, and it still doesn't help me sort out if it's morning in Italy yet, or if business hours have started. In fact, it's more difficult, since I'd then have to figure out what Italian business hours are. It's the same amount of effort either way - either you look up the timezone for Italy or you look up the business hours for Italy. The difference is there are fewer opportun…

No, if someone tells me it is 10 am in Italy, I know what time it is there. If you tell me it's 17:00 UTC, I have no idea what that is without looking it up.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#525

Post by wst_ »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #155
cyberferret wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the current concept of time is also based on the outdated industrial age concept of a 'working day' being 9-5. I doubt many of the people on HN for instance, work those set hours in this day and age. Nowadays it is purely a convenience factor to keep the worker drones in the same hive so they can gather for the next interminable meeting. With the rise of remote working, and other forms of communication tools, no…

I work 9-5, and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. I like having a fixed time where I'm working, and then 16 hours to do whatever I want. I prefer to wake up, work for the first half of my day, and then have the second half of my waking day in the evening. In fact, most people in my coworking space also work 9 to 5. Same goes for set meals (except that I don't have breakfast). Usually when I'm hungry enough t…

You eat on "lunch time" because you got used to eat at the same time. For some it is 11:30 for others 14:00. It's just a habit.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#526

Post by serge2k »

wernercd wrote: post #506
bluejekyll wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you mean "we Americans..." And yeah. I mean 10 is only divisible by 2 and 5 where 12 is much more flexible in giving us 2, 3, 4, and 6. At least that was my grandfather's argument. I annoying need to keep Metric and Standard wrenches and such for working on various things. Eventually it won't matter as the US will mostly source parts built over-seas where it will only make sense to adopt metric. And then the…

> 10 is only divisible by 2 and 5 where 12 is much more flexible in giving us 2, 3, 4, and 6. Now that is some good ole American ingenuity :)

Americans do come up with the best dumb arguments why their busted idiotic system is better.

My "favorite" is "Well farenheit just makes more sense for humans".

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#527

Post by serge2k »

bluejekyll wrote: post #274
eutropia wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://www.mithrandir.com/Tranquility/tranquility.html I think you're proposing this, 13 months named for scientists, one day outside the year.

Yes. Perfect. I've never seen that before. Thanks for sharing. It will never sell in the US though, the mere inclusion of Darwin will make it a political nightmare as people would be convinced we're atheists trying to kill their god.

I'd vote against it.

Mostly cause it's lame though.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#528

Post by serge2k »

knz wrote: post #474
kleigenfreude wrote: post #428

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stubborn is a bit harsh. The UK Metrication Association in 2006 estimated the cost of converting road signs to be £80 million. Only the road signs. Now consider UK and the US as a whole- all of the cost to the government, businesses, non-profits, etc.

And yet nearly every other major developed country has managed to make the switch... The issue of cost is not unique to America.

The issue of some weirdos making it about freedom is probably pretty unique to america.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#529

Post by wst_ »

Could anyone, please, explain to me why 12:00 the noon is 12PM? Why PM? I come from Europe so it may be not so obvious to me. My reasoning is, assuming 12h clock, we have 12:00 twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. So it would be only natural to say 12PM at midnight, not at noon. Since we already are dividing day for two halves, why not use exactly the same division for AM/PM? And yet, in the morning we (or actually you guys) are saying 11AM but 12PM.

Re: Time to Dump Time Zones

#530

Post by [deleted] »

wst_ wrote: post #529

Could anyone, please, explain to me why 12:00 the noon is 12PM? Why PM? I come from Europe so it may be not so obvious to me. My reasoning is, assuming 12h clock, we have 12:00 twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. So it would be only natural to say 12PM at midnight, not at noon. Since we already are dividing day for two halves, why not use exactly the same division for AM/PM? And yet, in the morning we…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN