Re: [LEAPSECS] BBC - Leap second talks are postponed

From: Ed Davies <ls_at_edavies.nildram.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:16:53 +0000

> In message <000901c5ea3e$4a3fe320$f715f204_at_computer>, Tom Van Baak writes:
>>BBC News, 9 November 2005, 08:36 GMT [sic]

Poul-Henning Kamp replied:
> No, GMT is correct, that is the legal time in the UK.

But the BBC time signals, etc, are all actually UTC. I doubt
anybody at the BBC needs to know what the time is in GMT.

GMT is legal time in the UK in the sense that, in the absence
of any indication of the use of other time scales, the
interpretation of dates and times in legal documents is GMT. All
practical applications are UTC so, if it ever really mattered,
it would be necessary to convert UTC times to GMT - e.g., to
resolve a dispute in court.

"GMT" is, unfotunately, widely used to mean the time in Britain
during winter.

More to the point - it's excellent news that they're delaying
for more consensus. Taking a decision either way when there
are such obvious disagreements seems like a really bad idea.

Ed Davies.
Received on Wed Nov 16 2005 - 02:17:49 PST