On Jan 7, 2014, at 4:56 PM, Brooks Harris wrote: > Oh yes, I've see that. Noted from this list. To me its both hysterical and > deeply troubling. On the one hand, it bemuses me to see someone else's > programming pain so well presented, mirroring my own, and, on the other, oh > isn't there please something we could do about it?
Doubtful :(. I could likely do a similar rant about leap seconds from a programmer's perspective of similar length too.... Warner > On 2014-01-07 03:40 PM, Warner Losh wrote: >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wpm-gesOY is required viewing. >> >> Warner >> >> On Jan 7, 2014, at 4:22 PM, Brooks Harris wrote: >> >>> Hi, >>> >>> First, this is my first posting to your list, forgive me if the subject has >>> been covered. >>> >>> Second, I am a colleague Stephen Scott, also a new subscriber who posted a >>> question earlier this week - (Subject: Local insertion of leap seconds). >>> >>> My question is about the current state of standards concerning time zones. >>> >>> Steve Allen's "Time Scales" >>> http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/timescales.html >>> <http://www.ucolick.org/%7Esla/leapsecs/timescales.html> is a tremendous >>> help in many regards, and my thanks and appreciation for the work collected >>> there. But it seems to side-step explanation of time zones, and its here >>> I'm asking for guidance. >>> >>> I fully understand time zone specifications are fractured. My objective is >>> to determine what standards are most relevant currently, that is, what >>> standards may be considered "in force". And where none exist, to state some >>> sort of rules of "common use" or "common practice" without referring to the >>> impossibly large collection of local jurisdictions and laws. >>> >>> In particular - >>> >>> A) "International Date Line", which is probably not standardized except by >>> local decree, but the "180 degrees from the Greenwich meridian" has >>> provenance back to the "International Meridian Conference of 1884" (not its >>> proper name). Is there more modern standard that codifies this in any way? >>> >>> B) The "International Meridian Conference of 1884" contains significant >>> discussion of the idea "That these standard meridians should continue to be >>> designated as even multiples of fifteen degrees from Greenwich", but there >>> appears to be no explicit resolution of vote on the topic. I am unable to >>> pick up the trail from there. There are many references in other >>> conferences preceding and after the 1984 conference, but I have not >>> discovered any official action on the subject. Again, is there any modern >>> standard regarding that issue? >>> >>> ISO 8601 describes using "offset from UTC" to indicate "time zone", but as >>> far as I can tell it does not state either what a "time zone" may be or why >>> an offset to a "time zone" from UTC might be useful. Is there any other >>> standard that might describe this relation of UTC (zulu) to the "time zone" >>> or "local time" more rigorously? >>> >>> Of course the definition of "Greenwich meridian" has undergone many >>> refinements and name changes since 1884. Claude Boucher describes the state >>> of Formal international recognition of the International Terrestrial >>> Reference System (ITRS) >>> >>> https://www.google.com/#q=Formal+international+recognition+of+the+International+Terrestrial+Reference+System+(ITRS). >>> >>> Are there descriptions of "time zones" amongst the standards in this field? >>> >>> And, of course, there is the subject of "Daylight Savings", apparently >>> begun by George Vernon Hudson. Are there any modern standards or >>> implementation guidance documents in force? >>> >>> I'm aware of tz databse, of course, but here too there seems to be lack of >>> clarity about what rules are being implemented, or, at least, I've found no >>> consolidated statements of those rules there. >>> >>> Comments and guidence welcomed, thanks very much, >>> >>> -Brooks Harris >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> LEAPSECS mailing list >>> LEAPSECS@leapsecond.com >>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/leapsecs >> _______________________________________________ >> LEAPSECS mailing list >> LEAPSECS@leapsecond.com >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/leapsecs >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > LEAPSECS mailing list > LEAPSECS@leapsecond.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/leapsecs _______________________________________________ LEAPSECS mailing list LEAPSECS@leapsecond.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/leapsecs
