Re: [LEAPSECS] Consensus rather than compromise

From: Clive D.W. Feather <clive_at_demon.net>
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 09:15:18 +0100

Mark Calabretta said:
> zoneinfo's fragmentation, the Broken Hill (Yankowinna) effect if you
> like, already illustrates the second part of my argument. Also, as
> Rob Seaman points out, the very fact that these half-hour zones exist
> suggests that a half-an-hour difference in solar time matters very much
> to some.

More likely they *mattered* to someone when first set up, and have remained
out of inertia.

> However, it still doesn't affect the first part of my argument. To
> understand why, imagine the typical timezone map such as that at
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone, or at the front of any decent
> atlas, but colour-coded so that red at +12 grades through the rainbow
> to violet at -12. Now imagine a movie of how that map has changed over
> time as described by zoneinfo.

That would be fun; it's a pity I don't have the time to code it up.

> and secondly a progressive
> fragmentation of the boundaries as each administration decides
> independently what to do with the leap hour.

I actually doubt that bit. For example, the whole USA would move in one go,
and so would the whole EU (which now stretches over 4 - I think - hourly
bands). With those examples in mind, I suspect most other countries would
co-ordinate to some extent.

--
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Thus plc            |                            |
Received on Mon Sep 05 2005 - 01:16:33 PDT

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