I think I've mentioned this before.
Why not put a notice on the main IANA TzDb page in BIG RED LETTERS,
something to the effect:
ATTENTION lawmakers and timekeeping authorities: Changes to time zone
rules do not update immediately. It is strongly recommended that any
change to time zones is to take effect at least one year from the date
the law or decision is officially finalized.
This could link to a page with more detailed explanation:
... Unlike the impression that everything on the internet updates
instantly the mechanisms for time zones and timekeeping must be updated
and distributed to all the systems and applications. .... Cell phones,
operating systems, databases... This takes time because each system
update must be tested and distributed ... TzDb is the primary source...
Maintainers of each system must incorporate the TzDb data and produce
tested updates for each system ... CLDR ... and deploy those changes to
all systems. ... To avoid difficulties in airline and train schedules,
financial transactions, meetings, school hours ,,, and so on ...
You all can write it better than my quick draft. But this seems to me
the place where this sort of warning should appear.
On 2026-10-03 03:03 PM, Doug Ewell via tz wrote:
James Bellaire wrote:
Rather, it was delayed by the lack of evidence of signed
legislation [...]
Even that "delay" was a published change 12 days after the initial
public announcement of intent on the radio (and then in a press
release) and _within a day of the actual effective date becoming
public._
I don't like using the word "delay" with that short of a time line.
Well, I didn’t say the interval (better word?) was the fault of the tzdb
maintainers. Indeed, the responsiveness of getting that release out once the
requirement was met was laudable.
There seems to be a perception among the public that the moment a government
official says “Yeah, it looks like we’ll probably do this,” tzdb will instantly
be updated, not only on the IANA website but magically on everyone’s devices as
well.
The “delay” perceived by such public would be between the initial policy
announcement on September 17 and the release of 2026e on September 30. So, well
over 90% of that “delay” was on the Manitoba government. And, of course, none
of that would have mattered if the time change were legislated to go into
effect a year from now, which would have been the responsible thing to do,
instead of a month from now.
--
Doug Ewell, CC, ALB | Lakewood, CO, US | ewellic.org
