[LEAPSECS] WP7A status and Re: clinical evidence about time and sun

[Rob Seaman]

On Dec 16, 2008, at 9:07 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:


> http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/cgsic/meetings/48thmeeting/Reports/Timing%20Subcommittee/48-LS%2020080916.pdf


Thanks for posting this - extremely helpful!

On Dec 16, 2008, at 10:47 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:


> Please discontinue use of your "disconnecting civil time from the  

> sun" red herring, it has nothing to do with reality anywhere on  

> Earth, and only serves to confuse.


This, however, is an example of an unhelpful statement.  You may (or,  
obviously, may not) agree with statements from others on the list.  If  
not, by all means make a passionate response.  But it is not only  
rude, but counterproductive to try to tell others what they can or  
cannot say.

For instance, I happen to think your notion about perpetually  
revolving the time zone offsets around the planet under completely  
local authority is spectacularly unworkable.  However, you have my  
encouragement (and more to the point, don't need it) to keep trying to  
develop supporting arguments for it.

On the other hand, I won't seek to justify the basis of Steve's  
message because we have done so over and over.

When some say "civil time" they mean the underlying international  
timescale (UTC or not, but currently everywhere some approximation to  
GMT).  When others say civil time they mean local standard time.  One  
is obviously layered on the other (whatever chaos might be introduced  
by standards bodies, and whether or not time zone offsets are a  
function of time), and the particular meaning is almost always clear  
from the context of a particular message.

Rob