On Sat 2007-01-06T19:36:19 +0000, Poul-Henning Kamp hath writ:
> There are two problems:
>
> 1. We get too short notice about leap-seconds.
>
> 2. POSIX and other standards cannot invent their UTC timescales.
This is not fair, for there is a more fundamental problem:
No two clocks can ever stay in agreement.
And the question that POSIX time_t does not answer is:
What do you want to do about that?
In some applications, especially the one for which it was designed,
there is nothing wrong with POSIX time_t. POSIX is just fine to
describe a clock which is manually reset as necessary to stay within
tolerance.
There are now other applications.
For some of those POSIX cannot do the job -- with or without leap seconds.
Yes, there is a cost of doing time right, and leap seconds are not to
blame for that cost. They are a wake up call from the state of denial.
--
Steve Allen <sla_at_ucolick.org> WGS-84 (GPS)
UCO/Lick Observatory Natural Sciences II, Room 165 Lat +36.99858
University of California Voice: +1 831 459 3046 Lng -122.06014
Santa Cruz, CA 95064 http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/ Hgt +250 m
Received on Sat Jan 06 2007 - 12:52:23 PST