[LEAPSECS] Look Before You Leap ? The Coming Leap Second and AWS | Hacker News

[Joseph M Gwinn]

"LEAPSECS" <leapsecs-bounces at leapsecond.com> wrote on 05/19/2015 02:22:24
PM:

> From: "Poul-Henning Kamp" <phk at phk.freebsd.dk>
> To: Leap Second Discussion List <leapsecs at leapsecond.com>, Hal
> Murray <hmurray at megapathdsl.net>
> Date: 05/19/2015 02:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [LEAPSECS] Look Before You Leap ? The Coming Leap
> Second and AWS | Hacker News
> Sent by: "LEAPSECS" <leapsecs-bounces at leapsecond.com>
>
> --------
> In message
> <20150519181135.CACBE406057 at ip-64-139-1-69.sjc.megapath.net>, Hal
> Murray writes:
>
> >I think the problem is conflicting standards.  POSIX doesn't agree with
UTC.
>
> Not so much "doesn't agree" as "ignores".

No, it's Doesn't Agree - the issue was very much debated.

True UTC (with leap seconds) didn't cure a problem the committee cared
about, and managed to cause problems they did care about.  In short, POSIX
systems have to be able to work in a cave, with no access to the sky or
knowledge of astronomy.


> >Are there any examples of buggy standards with a huge installed base
getting
> >fixed?
>
> Yes, plenty.
>
> Building codes.  Electrical codes.  Traffic codes.
>
> The deciding factor is always number of people killed and maimed.

Yes.  I always tell people that the US Electrical Code is written in blood.
The blood of the hapless.


> ... Or the rich loosing money, that always gets political action.

This actually supports standards, in an odd way:  People who want to do the
right thing (whatever that may be) don't want to be punished for this by
their less fussy competitors.  If one puts safety standards in law and
enforces them, the problem is solved.


Joe Gwinn
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