[LEAPSECS] How good could civil timekeeping be?

[John Cowan]

Rob Seaman scripsit:


> POSIX is indeed a facet of the world we've built.  I might argue that

> better system engineering practices might have avoided its limitations

> :-) but we have to deal with the technology we've inherited.


Richard P. Gabriel's famous "The Rise of 'Worse Is Better'" essay
(online at http://www.jwz.org/doc/worse-is-better.html among other
places) may shed some light on just why Posix has become so popular.
For that matter, it may shed some light on the whole debate: leap-second
guys are from Cambridge, TI guys are from New Jersey.

I recommend those of you who haven't read it yet (who are more likely
to be from Cambridge and not know it) to do so.  Ignore the parochial
Lisp-isms.

-- 
                Si hoc legere scis, nimium eruditionis habes.