[LEAPSECS] Focus in the debate, alternative proposal

[Warner Losh]

On 01/08/2011 11:42, Ian Batten wrote:

>> Put another way, if I'm a trader in China trading in New York, I can't be a second ahead or behind of them.  Great effort is made to being within microseconds of the time.

> It's 11000km from Beijing to New York.  That's 36 light-milliseconds.  Could you explain the meaning of events happening to microsecond resolution between locations 36 light-milliseconds apart?


Keep in mind there's a difference between latency and a timestamp.  
There might be a 36ms latency to get the order over the wire, but any 
latency between machines would be accounted for.

This is one reason that traders have been moving into colo centers 
located as close to the markets as possible to run their trading program.

And to be honest, my knowledge of the nit-picky procedures is now a few 
years out dated...  It is one example, however, of how 1s offsets can 
cause problems if people were to jump at different times.

Warner

Warner