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Comment by notatoad | Hacker News Reader

I'm not a fan of the name (or the entire syntax really, but the non-descriptive name is the worst bit). python is generally pretty self-documenting, but calling 'Delorean' to convert times is totally obscure. using datetime and pytz.timezone is a few too many steps at times, but at least it is readable. This is just magic.

`return utc.localize(datetime.utcnow()).astimezone(est)` is maybe a little annoying to type out, but it's obvious what it does. `return Delorean(est)` doesn't make any sense at all.

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So the library does a little bit more than just deal with shifting timezones which as you put can be a little annoying.

I would take a look at the docs and see what else the library can provide before you start quoting the interface incorrectly. :)

As for the name I considered other things most lead to namespace pollution. You are right I might be able to clear up the reference for people who dont know "Back to the Future" series.

Aren't you worried that someone, somewhere might actually still own the rights to that trademark, and might, one day, come to you and ask for money? After all, you're clearly exploiting the original trademark for your own gain.

I know, I know, we all love an '80s inside-joke, but I think this is just a bit too far.

(great lib btw, datetime has always been a bloody pain, for no good reason.)

Obscure? No way. Time-travel (i.e. changing times) was the first thing I thought of.

> but calling 'Delorean' to convert times is totally obscure

Unlike calling 'pickle' to serialize...

Although now we make and eat pickled vegetables because we like the taste, pickling was originally developed in order to enable vegetables to store longer. Calling a serializer "pickle" isn't unreasonable.

It's not unreasonable, but it's still obscure. Calling a time utility Delorean isn't unreasonable, despite also being obscure.

And if i were on the mailing lists back whenever they came up with pickle, i would have told them it was a silly name too.

It will only be non-descriptive if it doesn't catch on. See, for instance, Django, Pyramid, Twisted, etc. Twisted is a particularly good example, since it shares a similar analogy: Twisted could reference the twisted pair networks use; Delorean references a time-traveling vehicle.

The name is marketing and I'm sure we're all more likely to remember because we all have a real world association with that name and back to the future.

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