[LEAPSECS] Instant (86400 second Java class) [was Java:ThreeTen/JSR-310]

[Stephen Colebourne]

On 29 January 2011 23:36, Tom Van Baak <tvb at leapsecond.com> wrote:

>> smoothing for that. (As I've said before, stopping leap seconds now

>> isn't helpful as it adds yet another mapping/complication, rather than

>> removing one)

>

> This I don't understand. As far as UTC is concerned, isn't the

> proposal to stop leap seconds effectively the same as IERS

> just not sending out email anymore about when the next leap

> second will occur? No java or OS code needs to change.


Correct. But I work on the basis that something else will be added
instead to keep the solar day in tune (for example, non-SI seconds in
general usage, or leap-minutes). The idea that midday or midnight
would cease to have the same meaning to an average person is horrid
and I would suggest something that some politicians would get very
worked up about.

In other words, I flat out don't believe that the tinkering with time
would stop simply because leap-seconds were stopped.

Stephen