[LEAPSECS] Schedule for success

Rob Seaman seaman at noao.edu
Tue Dec 30 21:31:57 EST 2008


M. Warner Losh wrote:


> I think you may have missed a subtle aspect of phk's point.

>

> If rocket-scientists can't get the relatively simple nomenclature of

> this topic right, what hope is there for the average engineer?


And the non-subtle aspect is that since everybody uses the terms GMT
and UTC interchangeably, changing UTC will change GMT. But GMT has a
clear definition tied to - Hush my mouth! - the position of the mean
sun in the sky. It's anybody's guess how this divertissement will
play out.

BTW, it is unsurprising that people use UTC and GMT interchangeably,
since the original CCIR standard said:

"GMT may be regarded as the general equivalent of UT."

This equivalence predates the ITU, and may well outlive the ITU.

Rob

(Engineers are quite good, actually, at following clear instructions.
It has been the ITU's clear responsibility to provide those
instructions.)



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