Time changes

[Dick Dunn]

> There is talk that congress is considering making Daylight Saving Time
> last four weeks longer starting next year. This will break Unix's
> time conversion functions since they automatically correct for the
> Daylight/Standard change...

Not just UNIX time conversion.  There are many software systems (both at
the OS level and applications) which dislike the idea of an hour vanishing
mysteriously and reappearing as an hour's worth of duplicate times six
months later.

Write your Senators and Representatives.  This futzing around with Daylight
Savings Time is just another bit of tinkering to keep them from having to
work on the hard problems.

When all is said and done, our time system is quite arbitrary--if we can
change the way things work by twiddling the clock (and only by twiddling
the clock) we're screwed up.  If it would be better to get up earlier, just
get up earlier--you don't have to set your clock earlier and get up at the
same indicated-time reading!

We've already got one anomalous period in DST calculations; it's pretty
obnoxious to have to toss in the code for another one.  Personally, I think
I'm just going to change over to GMT if they play with it any more.  The
passer-by who asks me for the time will have to sort it out!
-- 
Dick Dunn	{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd		(303)444-5710 x3086
   ...At last it's the real thing...or close enough to pretend.