On Tue, 2017-01-03 at 14:53 -0500, Michael Rothwell wrote: > > > On Tue, Jan 3, 2017 at 2:18 PM, John Sauter <John_Sauter@systemeyesco > mputerstore.com> wrote: > > On Tue, 2017-01-03 at 13:28 -0500, Michael Rothwell wrote: > > > > > > This was probably covered elsewhere, and I apologize if I missed > > it, > > > but I have a question: > > > Why are you in such favor of leap seconds? > > > > > > -- > > > Michael Rothwell > > > [email protected] > > > (828) 649-ROTH > > > > I regard leap seconds as a reasonable compromise between the needs > > of > > civil time and of science. Civil time needs a clock that tracks > > the > > days and the seasons. Science requires a clock that measures time > > in > > precise intervals. UTC provides both, using leap seconds to keep > > atomic time synchronized with the rotation of the Earth. > > > > Some people who are inconvenienced by leap seconds are pushing for > > their removal. The effect of removing leap seconds will be to > > burden > > future users of civil time, who will see their clock no longer > > tracking > > the rotation of the Earth, and have to do something about it. I > > feel > > it is unethical to burden a future generation for our convenience, > > since that future generation has no voice in today's decisions. > > > > The inconveniences of leap seconds can be overcome by fixing the > > software that doesn't handle them correctly. Doing that is a big > > job, > > bigger than fixing the software that didn't handle the year 2000 > > correctly. We don't need to fix all the software today, we can > > chip > > away at it, and encourage newly written software to handle time > > correctly. > > > I think you are hopelessly naive. :) > > How many years (or centuries) would it take for the lack of leap > seconds to become a problem? > > > > John Sauter ([email protected]) > > > > -- > > PGP fingerprint E24A D25B E5FE 4914 A603 49EC 7030 3EA1 9A0B 511E > > > > > > -- > Michael Rothwell > [email protected] > (828) 649-ROTH
It doesn't matter how many years or centuries it takes for the lack of
leap seconds to become a problem. It only matters that it does,
eventually, become a problem only for people who are now unborn.
John Sauter ([email protected])
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PGP fingerprint E24A D25B E5FE 4914 A603 49EC 7030 3EA1 9A0B 511E
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