----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen GOULD" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "OIC Project Members" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, 2002-03-11 01:53 Subject: Re: [ISO8601] Re: New Date Formats.
> Hi Ian - thank you for your comprehensive response - my replies are included. > > In summary the key issues include: > > 1 How do we assist software developers to use a standard date code > especially for initial E-commerce negotiations > > 2 How and who liaises with GPS and GIS developers so that local maps can > be provided to show locations for timezone changes > > 3 How quickly can this be pulled together and who funds it ? > > Any response most welcome > > regards > > Stephen GOULD > ebXML Representative > OPEN INTERCHANGE CONSORTIUM > > 06:38 M 2002/03/11 Syd 2089 > http://www.halisa.net/G/C/HINGCAH2.htm > > On 8 Mar 02, at 23:54, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > On 2002-Feb-27 Stephen Gould wrote(>): > > > > > > [2002-Mar-08] > > > > > > > ISO 8601 is too wide in how it can be interpreted by software > > > developers. > > > > This is why some organisations have printed a 'short list' > > of formats that are acceptable. The most well known is the > > W3C 'Note' that many sites provide a link to. ISO 8601 defines > > a method for the writing of dates and times, with varying > > precision, optional separators, and truncation of data. There > > is no single 'ISO' format. Users need to define and document > > the exact syntax of the format(s) that they are going to use. > > > In E-commerce that is going to make it very difficult to set up a quick > electronic system whereby someone would like to try out a product > or service before they commit to an order. > > People are never going to get past the negotitation stage if they have to agree > which exact format they are using before they can start negotiations. > > There needs to a single format to start the ball rolling for negotiations. > > > > > > > [SNIP] > > > > > You can either > > > 1 allow the end user to type the required date or > > > 2 provide a standard drop down menu that > > > automatically places the date > > > in the right ISO 8601 format > > > > > However most SMEs do not have IT Departments they rely on > > > software developers. > > > > > This is why we are proposing a standard ISO 8601 format drop > > > down menu for SME ebXML software developers. > > > > Sounds like a reasonable idea. > > > How do we implement it ? > > > > > > > > Most SMEs when they are setting up their systems do not put in > > > the time differential into their e-mail software programs. > > > > It would be nice for everyone to standardise on the UTC Time > > Zone. I find it disconcerting to write a message at 20:00 and > > receive a reply timed 16:00 the same day. Looking further I > > then find my message was sent at 20:00+0000, and the reply is > > stamped 16:00-0500. I am reasonably happy with this. It is > > logical, but still confuses the general public big time. > > > > > This is a real problem isn't - now is the time we have to enable software > developers to incorporate it in their software as an add-on module. > > > > > The National Telecoms all provide telephone books with the time > > > differentials for each region. Microsoft provides this as part > > > of the Windows operation system. > > > > The problem is that these differentials are constantly changing > > due to political decisions. There is also the problem of 'Summer' > > or 'Daylight Saving' Time Zones. Different countries move on > > different dates. These dates are not fixed far into the future, > > are also subject to a change of political decision. Also note > > that the Northern and Southern hemisphere apply it in anti-phase. > > There is an ISO standard, that gives time zones a name, and > > association with a geographical location. However, it would > > still not be clear to someone outside the US to know exactly > > what geographical area would be covered by 'America/New_York', > > or what the default name would be for a US time zone that is, > > under ISO 8601, '-0600' from UTC. > > > This is why we believe that it should be links with the Global Positioning System > [GPS] or Geographical Information System [GIS] so that people can find out > exactly where the location is if they want to locate the company. Now is the > time that it has to be considered. > > > > > > > Perhaps a location code is required for E-business applications > > > to calculate the difference between GMT and local time. This > > > location code could be provided by the ISP as part of the service. > > > This could be the zip code in the US or postcode in UK and > > > Australia. It is part of the UN/EDIFACT address structure. > > > > Please do not refer to GMT. GMT is obsolete. Only use UTC now. > > It would be far wiser to do business in UTC, and let the end user > > translate UTC data back into a local time. That is, do not worry > > about the local time at the other end of the transaction, use > > UTC for everything. > > > > > > > > > [SNIP] > > > > >> [SNIP] > > > > >>> [SNIP] > > > > >>>> [SNIP] > > > > > > PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK QUOTE ALL PREVIOUS MESSAGES IN A THREAD. > > > > THEY ARE ARCHIVED AND THREADED ON THE YAHOO GROUPS WEB SITE. > > > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > Ian. > > > > > > <mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > <http://www.qsl.net/g1smd/> > > <http://home.freeuk.net/g1smd/> > > <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dstrange/y2k.htm> > > <http://dmoz.org/Science/Reference/Standards/Individual_Standards/ISO_8601/> > > > > <ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/ham/misc/g1smd.zip> > > <ftp://ftp.qsl.net/pub/g1smd/> > > > > > > [2002-03-08] > > > > .end > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> > Tiny Wireless Camera under $80! > Order Now! FREE VCR Commander! > Click Here - Only 1 Day Left! > http://us.click.yahoo.com/nuyOHD/7.PDAA/yigFAA/zCsqlB/TM > ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >
