[LEAPSECS] Terminology question

[Zefram]

Tony Finch wrote:

>Is there a generic term for timescales like POSIX time_t and NTP that

>count seconds (or some other interval) since an epoch without taking

>leap seconds into account?


Apparently not.  I'm inclined to use the phrase "faux linear time".
These timescales are really encodings of UTC-wise broken-down time, but
they sufficiently resembles a linear timescale that it's commonly mistaken
for one.  I think it's worth reminding people clearly of the reality.

POSIX actually uses the phrase "seconds since the epoch" to refer to
its timescale, while also explaining that this isn't really seconds
since anything:

http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/basedefs/xbd_chap04.html

-zefram