Our AIAA paper and subsequent publications recommended that the matter be addressed jointly by ITU-R and ISO, perhaps through the Joint Coordinating Group for Metrology (JCGM) chaired by BIPM. We cited many of the arguments pro and con with accessible references and addressed each with accessible references. I believe that this was a scholarly work supported by analysis and references, free of emotion or tendencies, and with conclusions supported by analysis and data.
We summarized these in a position paper submitted for record during the October WG7 meeting. We made two points, which have appeared independently from several participants in the present group: that the consequences of change were undetermined and that the name of the modified time scale should not be UTC. (I have ISO TC37, Terminology, working on this.) We did not ask that the US WG7 position be changed. Rather, we requested that dissension be acknowledged and that these two issues be considered. Since the deliberative documents are not accessible, we do not know how our input was considered. We consistently opined that whether the leap second were retained or not, normative guidance and well considered procedures were required. Yes, I am a zealot not to deprecate the leap second, but, as Poul-Henning states, not in its current (deficient) implementation. With this preamble, I suggest that my colleagues and I request that we (perhaps ISO) and WG7 collaboratively attempt to assess impacts so that the proposal can advance without contention. I must agree that the proposal only has a "by" time scale but is silent on how the change would be accomplished. (Incidentally the time frame cited is a year shorter than the US DoD requested, probably because a year had elapsed before WG7 acted definitively!) Some of this email repeats past discussions, but they bear repetition. I think I have a feasible approach to collaboration, but feasibility is in the hands of the observer. Dave Finkleman Senior Scientist Center for Space Standards and Innovation Analytical Graphics, Inc. 7150 Campus Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Phone: 719-510-8282 or 719-321-4780 Fax: 719-573-9079 Discover CSSI data downloads, technical webinars, publications, and outreach events at www.CenterForSpace.com. Our AIAA paper recommended that the matter be addressed jointly by ITU-R, ISO, and other organizations, for example by JTCG-1,
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