[time-nuts] FW: Bulletin C number 30

Mike S mikes at flatsurface.com
Tue Jul 5 13:35:54 EDT 2005


At 01:05 PM 7/5/2005, Warner Losh wrote...
>        (2) UTC is an externally imposed requirement.  Our users have
>            different needs for things, but UTC is a standard, and
>            we must provide it.

Well then, the cost argument goes away - it is simply a cost of doing business. TAI is also a standard.

>        (3) It is called UT1 these days.

Don't be pedantic. The point is that there are organizations which depend upon a time coordinate system which is closely linked to astronomical time. UTx/xMST, whatever.

>Why do you refuse to accept the fundamental message I'm telling you,
>based on my first hand experience:
>
>        Leap seconds have a huge cost associated with them, and they
>        insinuate themselves into many areas one might not naively
>        have thought of.

Why do you refuse to recognize that eliminating leap seconds from UTC has huge costs to other organizations? If you're required to use UTC because of regulation, then your costs are just a part of doing business. If you're not supporting the elimination of leap seconds from UTC, then your posts have no purpose unless your're just looking for a little sympathy.

UTC was specifically intended to follow astronomical time closely, that is the only significant way it differs from TAI. That some regulators require you to use it is no reason to change it's fundamental nature. Work on changing the regulations instead of breaking something which is working as intended.




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