[LEAPSECS] Robust solutions

[Rob Seaman]

On Dec 19, 2010, at 2:58 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:


> My estimate is that if we get 10 years advance notice, we can eliminate 90-99% of the software from the review, because the current POSIX hack can be distributed preconfigured in operating systems.


On Dec 19, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Steve Allen wrote:


> Change the name of the broadcast time scale from UTC to TI (as recommended at the 2003 Torino ITU-R colloquium), omit the leap seconds from the broadcasts, and put them into zoneinfo.


Neither of these suggestions is new.  Note the indicators of robust solutions - *both* of these could be implemented at the same time *and* without changing the UTC standard.  UTC remains as it is.  TI is released as a new-and-improved standard (with hopefully a more complete set of engineering docs than currently exists).  Laws that call out UTC or GMT or some other variation can continue unchanged.  And a prudent, unexciting path exists to revise any laws or systems or software that may need tweaking - as funding and time permit.

...if only the ITU weren't artificially forcing a crisis in 2012.

Rob