Why I Stopped Saying 'UTC+5:30' and Just Use City Names
For years, I wrote things like "the call is at 14:30 UTC+5:30" in my calendar. And for years, I second-guessed myself every single time. Is that my time or theirs? Do I add or subtract? Is it +5:30 or -5:30?
Then I stopped. Now I just write "the call is at 9:30 AM India time." And I never think twice.
The Problem With Offsets
UTC offsets are great for computers. They're terrible for humans. Here's why:
- You have to know whether the offset is positive or negative from your perspective
- You have to remember whether the country is currently on DST (which changes the offset)
- The same offset can mean different things — UTC+5 is Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and parts of Central Asia. Which one is your colleague in?
- Half-hour and quarter-hour offsets (India +5:30, Nepal +5:45, Iran +3:30) make mental math genuinely hard
What I Do Instead
I use city names. Not time zone abbreviations — those are ambiguous (CST could be China, Central US, or Cuba). I use actual cities.
Instead of "UTC+1," I write "Berlin time." Instead of "UTC+8," I write "Singapore time." Instead of "UTC-3:30," I write "St. John's time." It's unambiguous, it's human-readable, and it automatically handles DST because the city name implies the current rules.
But What About Converting?
Fair point. When I need to convert, I don't do math in my head. I use a tool. That's what tools are for. The point is that the label on the event should be human-friendly. The conversion happens at scheduling time, not every time I glance at my calendar.
The DST Bonus
Here's the hidden benefit: when you label things by city, DST transitions become invisible. If I have a weekly call with someone in Berlin, it stays "10 AM Berlin time" year-round. With UTC offsets, I'd have to remember whether we're in CET (UTC+1) or CEST (UTC+2) and adjust accordingly.
With city names, the calendar app handles it. I just show up.
Time Zone Abbreviations Explained · How to Convert Time Zones