RFC: Timestamps/timezones proposal

[Mike Alexander]

--On July 18, 2008 7:18:06 PM +0200 Graham Leggett <minfrin at sharp.fm> 
wrote:

> If a timestamp is used, it means that every single piece of time
> related code, must correctly respect the account timezone, at all
> times moving forward during development.
>
> As soon as *one* developer at *any* time in the future makes *one*
> mistake with regards to the timezone, the bug is back.
>
> The core premise behind defensive coding is choosing coding
> strategies that make it very difficult to make mistakes.
>
> It is difficult to get a date wrong, because "1 March 2008" is always
> and without exception equal to "1 March 2008". "2 March 2008" is
> always and without exception exactly one day after "1 March 2008".
>
> If you want to make life difficult for yourself and for end users,
> stick with the timestamps.

Having had enough problems with times and time zones over 40 years of 
programming computers, I agree with Graham.  It's probably more pain to 
fix things right now, but less pain in the long run.  Fixing it right 
also might not be as much pain as it appears to be.

       Mike