Feature request: Timezone display/setting

[russellhltn]

Currently the calendar adjusts the display of events based on the time zone setting of the user's computer. I think that's a bit confusing. Particularly when a member travels. I suspect that cell phones will automatically change their timezones based on the cell tower (which may be in a different zone if they are close to the edge).

My suggestions are:
1) Place a "All times listed are ...." on the main calendar page. This prevents surprises.
2) Allow users to "fix" their display to a set time zone. I think this will be particularly beneficial to traveling members who are likely to think in "home" time, not "where I am now" time.

[kthatch]

I agree. This is very confusing for members traveling. When they check their stake/ward's online calendar all the times of events are "wrong" because they reflect the time zone they are visiting and not the time zone of the actual location. The calendar should always reflect the actual time zone for the area it represents. It doesn't make sense and is very confusing otherwise. Most people know they need to either add or delete hours depending on time zones. What people are not aware of is that the online calendar changes times as members change time zones.

[hawkmoonsundown]

This becomes even more confusing when an email reminder is sent using the incorrect time zone. I have to actively change the time when I am in the correct time zone in order to get the email notification to send the correct time.

[judson.wooters]

This needs to be changed quickly. Is there a reason why calendar events are based on anything other than the local time zone?

[aebrown]

This needs to be changed quickly.

It's been this way since the Calendar was developed a few years ago, so I really doubt that it would be changed quickly.

Is there a reason why calendar events are based on anything other than the local time zone?

Although I certainly understand why many people would prefer that times were displayed in the unit's time zone, I can think of some reasons why it works this way:

• Some stakes span two time zones
• There could be Sync implications; cell phones and many other mobile devices change time zones automatically, and events with their alerts would need to change as well.

Regardless of the reasons, this would not be a trivial change. All changes have to be prioritized by importance and available resources. But you're welcome to use the Feedback link on LDS.org to submit your request.

[russellhltn]

There could be Sync implications; cell phones and many other mobile devices change time zones automatically, and events with their alerts would need to change as well.

I think that's an argument against it as it makes things confusing.

Instead, I'd substitute syncing church-wide events such as general conference. If it wasn't for that, I'd think we could do without time zones completely, just like Calendar 1.0.

[hawkmoonsundown]

Time is absolute with respect to the stake's or ward's time zone exclusive of the person's temporary location. For example, if I enter an event for a ward in England, and I am in Utah, do we really expect the event to take place with respect to MST or MDT?

I am fairly certain major Church events (e.g., General Conference) are with respect to MST/MDT regardless of the timezone of the electronic device entering the event even though the Church spans all timezones.

I believe this example is scalable. A stake has a stake center just as the Church has headquarters. Therefore, while not perfect, we can assume the stake crossing multiple timezones has the timezone of its building location since many events will be based on that location...hence stake center. Wards would be similar. If someone views or modifies events for the stake or ward, it would be relative to that geographic marker and not based on a single person's temporary location.

I will make the suggestion.

[aebrown]

There could be Sync implications; cell phones and many other mobile devices change time zones automatically, and events with their alerts would need to change as well.

I think that's an argument against it as it makes things confusing.

I don't understand your point. If my device is going to give me an alarm 15 minutes before an event starts at 7:00pm Mountain Time, but I happen to be in Eastern Time, that alarm has to be at 8:45pm on my device. It makes absolutely no sense for it to be at 6:45pm on my device.

Such alarms will not be broadly useful, since most events can't be attended by those in a different time zone. But perhaps it is for some presidency meeting that I need to call in to. In that case, I need my device to remind me when the event is actually happening, and since my device is in my temporary time zone, that reminder has to be relative to my temporary time zone.

Instead, I'd substitute syncing church-wide events such as general conference. If it wasn't for that, I'd think we could do without time zones completely, just like Calendar 1.0.

That's yet another example.

[russellhltn]

There could be Sync implications; cell phones and many other mobile devices change time zones automatically, and events with their alerts would need to change as well.

I think that's an argument against it as it makes things confusing.

I don't understand your point. If my device is going to give me an alarm 15 minutes before an event starts at 7:00pm Mountain Time, but I happen to be in Eastern Time, that alarm has to be at 8:45pm on my device. It makes absolutely no sense for it to be at 6:45pm on my device.

Alarms? I'm lost. We're talking about calendar on lds.org, not LDS Tools.

I believe the complaint at hand is the lds.org calendar doesn't display times as expected.

[aebrown]

Alarms? I'm lost. We're talking about calendar on lds.org, not LDS Tools.

I believe the complaint at hand is the lds.org calendar doesn't display times as expected.

I never said anything about LDS Tools. I'm talking about when the calendar on LDS.org is synced to a mobile device, which then may have alarms for the synced events. If the system only understands events in terms of the local time zone of the building or unit, then I'm theorizing that such a change might have implications for synced calendars.