- tz - lists.iana.org

Time zone files in tzdata96i.tar.gz
by Brian Candler March 30, 1997

March 30, 1997

Package: tzdata95i.tar.gz [from RedHat zoneinfo-96i-4.i386.rpm] Symptom: The timezone /usr/lib/zoneinfo/Etc/GMT-6 does not work correctly; if you use it, then set your clock using ntpdate, the system clock is 12 hours out. However if you use a different zoneinfo (e.g. America/Belize) it works fine. I believe the problem is in file "etcetera" in the tzdata package: ... Zone Etc/GMT-6 6 - GMT-6 Zone Etc/GMT-5 5 - GMT-5 Zone Etc/GMT-4 4 - GMT-4 ... Zone Etc/GMT+4 -4 - GMT+4 Zone Etc/GMT+5 -5 - GMT+5 Zone Etc/GMT+6 -6 - GMT+6 ... It appears that the zone offsets in column 3 have the wrong sign - can you check if this is the case? Regards, Brian Candler.

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tzcode1997d.tar.gz and tzdata1997e.tar.gz
by ado March 29, 1997

March 29, 1997

The files ftp://elsie.nci.nih.gov/pub/tzcode1997d.tar.gz and ftp://elsie.nci.nih.gov/pub/tzdata1997e.tar.gz are now available; these incorporate Paul Eggert's latest suggestions. Remember that many United States locales change clocks within the next 24 hours; if you're affected, be sure to keep your time zone expertise credentials in order. --ado

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proposed changes to tz data from 1997-02 IATA tables, etc.
by Paul Eggert March 29, 1997

March 29, 1997

Here are proposed changes for for the following countries, taken from the changes in the 1997-02 IATA tables reported by Gwillim Law. Brazil Cuba Libya Mongolia New Caledonia Paraguay Sri Lanka [with transition time found via Deja News] This change also incorporates the simpler (and hopefully more accurate) prediction for Israel that I mentioned earlier on this list. Also, it contains commentary updates for several locations (mostly peri-Antarctic islands) that should be self-explanatory, and it adds some new URL references and removes one or two dangling URLs. =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/WWW,v retrieving revision 1996.5 retrieving revision 1996.5.1.1 diff -c -r1996.5 -r1996.5.1.1 *** WWW 1996/01/06 14:08:24 1996.5 --- WWW 1997/03/29 07:34:37 1996.5.1.1 *************** *** 1,6 **** # '@(#)WWW 7.3' ! # From Paul Eggert <eggert(a)twinsun.com> (1995-11-03) # # The Web has several other sources for time zone and daylight savings data. # Here are some recent links that may be of interest. --- 1,6 ---- # '@(#)WWW 7.3' ! # From Paul Eggert <eggert(a)twinsun.com> (1997-03-28) # # The Web has several other sources for time zone and daylight savings data. # Here are some recent links that may be of interest. *************** *** 10,15 **** --- 10,20 ---- # A text-based source for tables of current time throughout the world. # Its point-and-click interface accesses a recent version of the tz data. # + # WORLDTIME: interactive atlas, time info, public holidays + # http://www.worldtime.com/ + # Interactive world atlas with information on local time, sunrise and sunset, + # and public holidays in several hundred cities around the world. + # # Local Times Around the World # http://www.hilink.com.au/times/ # This text-based system contains links to local time servers *************** *** 18,38 **** # # World Time Zones # http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/tzones.html ! # US Naval Observatory data, used as the source for `usno1995'. # # Standard Time Zones of the World ! # http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/802389.gif [54 kB] ! # http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/802389h.gif [1317 kB] ! # A static time zone map, available in both low-resolution and ! # high-resolution versions. The quality is good, but the map does not ! # indicate summer time, and parts of the data are a few years out of date. ! # ! # VIBE's World Map ! # http://pathfinder.com/vibe/vibeworld ! # An active time zone map. You can point to the map and find out what ! # time it is at that location. The map and data are not as good as ! # other sources. ! ############################################################################### # From Manavendra Thakur <Manavendra_Thakur(a)NeXT.COM> (1995-11-06) --- 23,64 ---- # # World Time Zones # http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/tzones.html ! # US Naval Observatory data, used as the source for the usno* files. # # Standard Time Zones of the World ! # http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/rmap-gif/802483.gif [75 kB] ! # http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/rmap-tif/802483.tif [1 MB] ! # http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/rmap-pdf/802483.pdf [3 MB] ! # A static time zone map, available in multiple resolutions. ! # The quality is good, but the map does not indicate summer time, ! # and parts of the data are a few years out of date. ! # ! # Detailed World Clock information ! # http://www.stud.unit.no/USERBIN/steffent/timezones.pl ! # A map of cities and a list of UTC offsets and current DST rules in each city. ! # ! # The Time of Internet ! # http://pisolo.cstv.to.cnr.it/toi/uk/toi.html ! # Good descriptions of Time Zones and daylight savings time, with diagrams. ! # The time zone map is out of date, however. ! # ! # A Few Facts Concerning RGO, GMT, and UT, by Richard B. Langley ! # http://community.bellcore.com/mbr/gmt-explained.html ! # This answers questions like ``What is the difference between GMT and UTC?'' ! # ! # Daylight Saving Time -- Saving Time, Saving Energy ! # http://www.energy.ca.gov/energy/daylightsaving.html ! # A history of DST in the US. ! # ! # Yahoo! - Science:Weights and Measures:Measurements:Time:Daylight Savings Time ! # http://www.yahoo.com/Science/Weights_and_Measures/Measurements/Time/Dayligh… ! # The famous Internet indexing service Yahoo! collects its time zone info here. ! # ! # International Air Transport Association ! # http://www.iata.org/ ! # The source for the IATA SSIM, which gives current time zone rules for ! # all the airports served by commercial aviation. ! # ############################################################################### # From Manavendra Thakur <Manavendra_Thakur(a)NeXT.COM> (1995-11-06) =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/africa,v retrieving revision 1996.13 retrieving revision 1996.13.1.1 diff -c -r1996.13 -r1996.13.1.1 *** africa 1996/11/24 01:07:36 1996.13 --- africa 1997/03/29 07:34:37 1996.13.1.1 *************** *** 403,410 **** Rule Libya 1987 1989 - Apr 1 0:00 1:00 S Rule Libya 1987 1990 - Oct 1 0:00 0 - Rule Libya 1990 only - May 4 0:00 1:00 S ! Rule Libya 1996 max - Mar 30 2:00s 1:00 S ! Rule Libya 1996 max - Sep 30 2:00s 0 - # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Africa/Tripoli 0:52:44 - LMT 1920 1:00 Libya CE%sT 1959 --- 403,412 ---- Rule Libya 1987 1989 - Apr 1 0:00 1:00 S Rule Libya 1987 1990 - Oct 1 0:00 0 - Rule Libya 1990 only - May 4 0:00 1:00 S ! Rule Libya 1996 only - Mar 30 2:00s 1:00 S ! Rule Libya 1996 only - Sep 30 2:00s 0 - ! Rule Libya 1997 max - Mar lastThu 2:00s 1:00 S ! Rule Libya 1997 max - Oct Thu>=1 2:00s 0 - # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Africa/Tripoli 0:52:44 - LMT 1920 1:00 Libya CE%sT 1959 *************** *** 525,533 **** -0:06 - SHT 1951 # St Helena Time (?) 0:00 - GMT # The other parts of the St Helena territory are similar: ! # Tristan da Cunha: on GMT, says Whitman ! # Ascension: on GMT, says usno1995 ! # Gough, Inaccessible, Nightingale: no information, but probably GMT # Sao Tome and Principe # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] --- 527,536 ---- -0:06 - SHT 1951 # St Helena Time (?) 0:00 - GMT # The other parts of the St Helena territory are similar: ! # Tristan da Cunha: on GMT, say Whitman and the CIA ! # Ascension: on GMT, says usno1995 and the CIA ! # Gough (scientific station since 1955): on GMT, says the CIA ! # Inaccessible, Nightingale: no information, but probably GMT # Sao Tome and Principe # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] *************** *** 577,583 **** Zone Africa/Johannesburg 1:52:00 - LMT 1892 Feb 8 1:30 - SAT 1903 Mar 2:00 SA SA%sT ! # Prince Edward Is # no information # Sudan --- 580,587 ---- Zone Africa/Johannesburg 1:52:00 - LMT 1892 Feb 8 1:30 - SAT 1903 Mar 2:00 SA SA%sT ! # Marion and Prince Edward Is ! # weather station since 1947 # no information # Sudan =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/antarctica,v retrieving revision 1997.3 retrieving revision 1997.3.1.1 diff -c -r1997.3 -r1997.3.1.1 *** antarctica 1997/03/03 17:21:51 1997.3 --- antarctica 1997/03/29 07:34:37 1997.3.1.1 *************** *** 1,8 **** # @(#)antarctica 7.7 ! # From Paul Eggert (1997-01-20): # To keep things manageable, we list only locations occupied year-round; ! # see <URL:http://earth.agu.org/amen/nations.html> (1996-05-24). # Unless otherwise specified, we have no time zone information. # # Except for the French entries, --- 1,9 ---- # @(#)antarctica 7.7 ! # From Paul Eggert (1997-03-28): # To keep things manageable, we list only locations occupied year-round; ! # see <URL:http://earth.agu.org/amen/nations.html> (1996-05-24) ! # and <URL:http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/bob/periant.htm> (1996-09-05). # Unless otherwise specified, we have no time zone information. # # Except for the French entries, *************** *** 29,35 **** # 5 others # Australia - territories ! # Heard Island, McDonald Islands # # year-round bases # Casey, Bailey Peninsula, since 1969 --- 30,36 ---- # 5 others # Australia - territories ! # Heard Island, McDonald Islands (uninhabited) # # year-round bases # Casey, Bailey Peninsula, since 1969 *************** *** 70,78 **** # # Martin-de-Vivies Base, Amsterdam Island, -374105+0773155, since 1950 # Alfred-Faure Base, Crozet Islands, -462551+0515152, since 1964 ! # Port-aux-Francais, Kerguelen Islands, -492110+0701303, since 1951 # ! # St Paul Island - near Amsterdam, uninhabited since 1927 # # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Indian/Kerguelen 0 - ___ 1950 # Port-aux-Francais --- 71,80 ---- # # Martin-de-Vivies Base, Amsterdam Island, -374105+0773155, since 1950 # Alfred-Faure Base, Crozet Islands, -462551+0515152, since 1964 ! # Port-aux-Francais, Kerguelen Islands, -492110+0701303, since 1951; ! # a whaling and sealing station operated 1908-14, 1920-29, and 1951-56 # ! # St Paul Island - near Amsterdam, uninhabited since 1931 # # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Indian/Kerguelen 0 - ___ 1950 # Port-aux-Francais *************** *** 107,114 **** # King Sejong, King George Island, since 1988 # New Zealand - claims ! # Balleny Islands ! # Scott Island # # year-round base # Scott, Ross Island, since 1957-01, is like Antarctica/McMurdo. --- 109,116 ---- # King Sejong, King George Island, since 1988 # New Zealand - claims ! # Balleny Islands (never inhabited) ! # Scott Island (never inhabited) # # year-round base # Scott, Ross Island, since 1957-01, is like Antarctica/McMurdo. *************** *** 124,133 **** Rule NZAQ 1990 max - Mar Sun>=15 2:00s 0 S # Norway - territories ! # Bouvet (uninhabited) # # claims ! # Peter I Island (uninhabited) # Poland - year-round base # Arctowski, King George Island, since 1977 --- 126,135 ---- Rule NZAQ 1990 max - Mar Sun>=15 2:00s 0 S # Norway - territories ! # Bouvet (never inhabited) # # claims ! # Peter I Island (never inhabited) # Poland - year-round base # Arctowski, King George Island, since 1977 *************** *** 147,153 **** --- 149,159 ---- # # British Antarctic Territories (BAT) claims # South Orkney Islands + # scientific station from 1903 + # whaling station at Signy I 1920-1926 # South Shetland Islands + # whaling station at Deception I 1912-1931 + # scientific station from 1943 # # year-round bases # Halley, Coates Land, -7535-2619, since 1956-01-06 =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/asia,v retrieving revision 1997.3 retrieving revision 1997.3.1.2 diff -c -r1997.3 -r1997.3.1.2 *** asia 1997/03/04 14:58:18 1997.3 --- asia 1997/03/29 07:34:37 1997.3.1.2 *************** *** 508,515 **** # From Ephraim Silverberg (ephraim(a)cs.huji.ac.il) 1997-03-04: - # Zone Information Compiler (ZIC) File for the State of Israel (1989-2009) - # According to the Office of the Secretary General of the Ministry of # Interior, there is NO set rule for Daylight-Savings/Standard time changes. # Each year they decide anew what havoc to wreak on the country. However, --- 508,513 ---- *************** *** 525,551 **** # change back to standard time took place on Sunday night instead of Saturday # night to avoid conflicts with the Jewish New Year. ! # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S ! Rule Zion 1989 only - Apr 30 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1989 only - Sep 3 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 1990 only - Mar 25 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1990 only - Aug 26 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 1991 only - Mar 24 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1991 only - Sep 1 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 1992 only - Mar 29 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1992 only - Sep 6 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 1993 only - Apr 2 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1993 only - Sep 5 0:00 0:00 S # The dates for 1994-1995 were obtained from Office of the Spokeswoman for the # Ministry of Interior, Jerusalem, Israel. The spokeswoman can be reached by # calling the office directly at 972-2-6701447 or 972-2-6701448. # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S ! Rule Zion 1994 only - Apr 1 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1994 only - Aug 28 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 1995 only - Mar 31 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1995 only - Sep 3 0:00 0:00 S # The dates for 1996 were determined by the Minister of Interior of the # time, Haim Ramon. The official announcement regarding 1996-1998 --- 523,549 ---- # change back to standard time took place on Sunday night instead of Saturday # night to avoid conflicts with the Jewish New Year. ! # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S ! Rule Zion 1989 only - Apr 30 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1989 only - Sep 3 0:00 0 S ! Rule Zion 1990 only - Mar 25 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1990 only - Aug 26 0:00 0 S ! Rule Zion 1991 only - Mar 24 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1991 only - Sep 1 0:00 0 S ! Rule Zion 1992 only - Mar 29 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1992 only - Sep 6 0:00 0 S ! Rule Zion 1993 only - Apr 2 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1993 only - Sep 5 0:00 0 S # The dates for 1994-1995 were obtained from Office of the Spokeswoman for the # Ministry of Interior, Jerusalem, Israel. The spokeswoman can be reached by # calling the office directly at 972-2-6701447 or 972-2-6701448. # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S ! Rule Zion 1994 only - Apr 1 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1994 only - Aug 28 0:00 0 S ! Rule Zion 1995 only - Mar 31 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1995 only - Sep 3 0:00 0 S # The dates for 1996 were determined by the Minister of Interior of the # time, Haim Ramon. The official announcement regarding 1996-1998 *************** *** 560,599 **** # # ftp://ftp.huji.ac.il/pub/tz/announcements/1997.ps.gz # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S ! Rule Zion 1996 only - Mar 15 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1996 only - Sep 16 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 1997 only - Mar 21 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1997 only - Sep 14 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 1998 only - Mar 20 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1998 only - Oct 18 0:00 0:00 S ! ! # These rules are probably wrong, but they are close approximations (usually ! # within a few weeks): ! ! # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S ! Rule Zion 1999 only - Apr 11 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1999 only - Sep 5 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2000 only - Apr 30 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2000 only - Sep 24 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2001 only - Apr 15 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2001 only - Sep 9 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2002 only - Apr 7 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2002 only - Sep 1 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2003 only - Apr 27 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2003 only - Sep 21 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2004 only - Apr 18 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2004 only - Sep 12 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2005 only - May 1 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2005 only - Sep 25 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2006 only - Apr 23 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2006 only - Sep 17 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2007 only - Apr 15 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2007 only - Sep 9 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2008 only - Apr 27 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2008 only - Sep 21 0:00 0:00 S ! Rule Zion 2009 only - Apr 19 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 2009 only - Sep 13 0:00 0:00 S # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Asia/Jerusalem 2:20:56 - LMT 1880 --- 558,577 ---- # # ftp://ftp.huji.ac.il/pub/tz/announcements/1997.ps.gz + # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S + Rule Zion 1996 only - Mar 15 0:00 1:00 D + Rule Zion 1996 only - Sep 16 0:00 0 S + Rule Zion 1997 only - Mar 21 0:00 1:00 D + Rule Zion 1997 only - Sep 14 0:00 0 S + Rule Zion 1998 only - Mar 20 0:00 1:00 D + Rule Zion 1998 only - Oct 18 0:00 0 S + + # From Paul Eggert (1997-03-15): + # Here are guesses for rules after 1998. + # They are probably wrong, but they are more likely than no DST at all. # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S ! Rule Zion 1999 max - Mar Fri>=15 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Zion 1999 max - Sep Sun>=15 0:00 0 S # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Asia/Jerusalem 2:20:56 - LMT 1880 *************** *** 810,816 **** Rule Mongol 1985 1990 - Sep lastSun 3:00 0 - Rule Mongol 1991 max - Mar lastSun 0:00 1:00 S Rule Mongol 1991 1995 - Sep lastSun 0:00 0 - ! Rule Mongol 1996 max - Oct Fri>=22 0:00 0 - # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] #Zone Asia/Dariv 6:14:32 - LMT 1905 Aug # 6:00 - DART 1978 # Dariv Time --- 788,795 ---- Rule Mongol 1985 1990 - Sep lastSun 3:00 0 - Rule Mongol 1991 max - Mar lastSun 0:00 1:00 S Rule Mongol 1991 1995 - Sep lastSun 0:00 0 - ! Rule Mongol 1996 only - Oct Fri>=22 0:00 0 - ! Rule Mongol 1997 max - Sep lastSun 0:00 0 - # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] #Zone Asia/Dariv 6:14:32 - LMT 1905 Aug # 6:00 - DART 1978 # Dariv Time *************** *** 909,914 **** --- 888,898 ---- # reported ``the country's standard time will be put forward by one hour at # midnight Friday (1830 GMT) `in the light of the present power crisis'.'' # Transitions before 1996 are from Shanks (1991). + # + # From Dharmasiri Senanayake, Sri Lanka Media Minister (1996-10-24), as quoted + # in <URL:news:54rka5$m5h@mtinsc01-mgt.ops.worldnet.att.net> (1996-10-26): + # With effect from 12.30 a.m. on 26th October 1996 + # Sri Lanka will be six (06) hours ahead of GMT. # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Asia/Colombo 5:19:24 - LMT 1880 *************** *** 917,923 **** 5:30 0:30 IHST 1942 Sep 5:30 1:00 IST 1945 Oct 16 2:00 5:30 - IST 1996 May 25 0:00 ! 6:30 - LKT # Sri Lanka Time # Syria # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S --- 901,908 ---- 5:30 0:30 IHST 1942 Sep 5:30 1:00 IST 1945 Oct 16 2:00 5:30 - IST 1996 May 25 0:00 ! 6:30 - LKT 1996 Oct 26 0:30 ! 6:00 - LKT # Syria # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/australasia,v retrieving revision 1997.1 retrieving revision 1997.1.2.1 diff -c -r1997.1 -r1997.1.2.1 *** australasia 1997/01/21 14:11:10 1997.1 --- australasia 1997/03/29 07:40:34 1997.1.2.1 *************** *** 170,176 **** # no indigenous inhabitants; only meteorologists # no information # ! # Macquarie, Manihiki, Penrhyn, Rakehanga # no information --- 170,181 ---- # no indigenous inhabitants; only meteorologists # no information # ! # Macquarie ! # permanent occupation (scientific station) since 1948; ! # sealing and penguin oil station operated 1888-1917 ! # no information ! # ! # Manihiki, Penrhyn, Rakehanga # no information *************** *** 277,282 **** --- 282,290 ---- # Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER/S Rule NC 1977 1978 - Dec Sun>=1 0:00 1:00 S Rule NC 1978 1979 - Feb 27 0:00 0 - + Rule NC 1996 only - Dec 1 2:00s 1:00 S + Rule NC 1997 max - Mar Sun>=1 2:00s 0 - + Rule NC 1997 max - Nov lastSun 2:00s 1:00 S # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone Pacific/Noumea 11:05:48 - LMT 1912 Jan 13 11:00 NC NC%sT *************** *** 315,322 **** Zone Pacific/Chatham 12:45 Chatham CHA%sT ! # Antipodes Is, Kermadec Is ! # uninhabited except by research personnel; probably like Pacific/Auckland ############################################################################### --- 323,335 ---- Zone Pacific/Chatham 12:45 Chatham CHA%sT ! # Auckland Is ! # uninhabited ! ! # Campbell I ! # minor whaling stations operated 1909-14 ! # scientific station operated 1941-1995 ! # was probably like Pacific/Auckland ############################################################################### =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/europe,v retrieving revision 1996.14 retrieving revision 1996.14.1.1 diff -c -r1996.14 -r1996.14.1.1 *** europe 1996/12/28 02:42:05 1996.14 --- europe 1997/03/29 07:34:37 1996.14.1.1 *************** *** 630,639 **** # came into force on 16 November. It restates the dates from the EC # seventh Summer Time Directive.... # ! # From Peter Ilieve <peter(a)aldie.co.uk> (1996-04-20): ! # Proposals for the eighth directive were supposed to have been produced ! # by the Commission by 1 Jan 96. They have not yet appeared (I asked just ! # before Easter). # From Peter Ilieve <peter(a)memex.co.uk> (1994-03-28): # The [GB-Eire] end date of 22 October [1995] conflicts with your current rule --- 630,647 ---- # came into force on 16 November. It restates the dates from the EC # seventh Summer Time Directive.... # ! # From Peter Ilieve <peter(a)aldie.co.uk> (1997-03-28): ! # The [European] Transport Council discussed the proposed Eighth Directive ! # on 11 March and agreed [to] it, so it moves forward to the next stage, ! # from a Commission proposal to a Common Position.... What this means is: ! # ! # - The eighth directive proposal rules have been accepted. ! # These are the same as the current rules (last Sunday in March and last ! # Sunday in October). The rules will run until 2001. ! # ! # - The French have had their request to abandon summer time turned down. ! # They have been promised some sort of review in 1999 which might change ! # the rules for 2000 and 2001. # From Peter Ilieve <peter(a)memex.co.uk> (1994-03-28): # The [GB-Eire] end date of 22 October [1995] conflicts with your current rule =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/northamerica,v retrieving revision 1996.14 retrieving revision 1996.14.1.1 diff -c -r1996.14 -r1996.14.1.1 *** northamerica 1996/12/28 02:42:05 1996.14 --- northamerica 1997/03/29 07:34:37 1996.14.1.1 *************** *** 1141,1154 **** Rule Cuba 1972 1974 - Oct 8 0:00 0 S Rule Cuba 1975 1977 - Oct lastSun 0:00 0 S Rule Cuba 1978 only - May 7 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Cuba 1978 1980 - Oct Sun>=8 0:00 0 S Rule Cuba 1979 1980 - Mar Sun>=15 0:00 1:00 D Rule Cuba 1981 1985 - May Sun>=5 0:00 1:00 D - Rule Cuba 1981 1990 - Oct Sun>=8 0:00 0 S Rule Cuba 1986 1989 - Mar Sun>=14 0:00 1:00 D Rule Cuba 1990 max - Apr Sun>=1 0:00 1:00 D Rule Cuba 1991 1995 - Oct Sun>=8 0:00s 0 S ! Rule Cuba 1996 max - Oct Sun>=1 0:00s 0 S # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone America/Havana -5:29:28 - LMT 1890 --- 1141,1154 ---- Rule Cuba 1972 1974 - Oct 8 0:00 0 S Rule Cuba 1975 1977 - Oct lastSun 0:00 0 S Rule Cuba 1978 only - May 7 0:00 1:00 D ! Rule Cuba 1978 1990 - Oct Sun>=8 0:00 0 S Rule Cuba 1979 1980 - Mar Sun>=15 0:00 1:00 D Rule Cuba 1981 1985 - May Sun>=5 0:00 1:00 D Rule Cuba 1986 1989 - Mar Sun>=14 0:00 1:00 D Rule Cuba 1990 max - Apr Sun>=1 0:00 1:00 D Rule Cuba 1991 1995 - Oct Sun>=8 0:00s 0 S ! Rule Cuba 1996 only - Oct Sun>=1 0:00s 0 S ! Rule Cuba 1997 max - Oct Sun>=8 0:00s 0 S # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone America/Havana -5:29:28 - LMT 1890 =================================================================== RCS file: RCS/southamerica,v retrieving revision 1996.14 retrieving revision 1996.14.1.1 diff -c -r1996.14 -r1996.14.1.1 *** southamerica 1996/12/28 02:42:05 1996.14 --- southamerica 1997/03/29 07:34:37 1996.14.1.1 *************** *** 267,276 **** Rule Brazil 1990 1991 - Feb Sun>=11 0:00 0 S Rule Brazil 1990 1992 - Oct Sun>=20 0:00 1:00 D Rule Brazil 1992 only - Feb 9 0:00 0 S ! Rule Brazil 1993 max - Oct Sun>=11 0:00 1:00 D Rule Brazil 1993 only - Jan 31 0:00 0 S Rule Brazil 1994 1995 - Feb Sun>=15 0:00 0 S Rule Brazil 1996 max - Feb Sun>=11 0:00 0 S # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] # --- 267,277 ---- Rule Brazil 1990 1991 - Feb Sun>=11 0:00 0 S Rule Brazil 1990 1992 - Oct Sun>=20 0:00 1:00 D Rule Brazil 1992 only - Feb 9 0:00 0 S ! Rule Brazil 1993 1995 - Oct Sun>=11 0:00 1:00 D Rule Brazil 1993 only - Jan 31 0:00 0 S Rule Brazil 1994 1995 - Feb Sun>=15 0:00 0 S Rule Brazil 1996 max - Feb Sun>=11 0:00 0 S + Rule Brazil 1996 max - Oct Sun>=1 0:00 1:00 D # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] # *************** *** 434,442 **** Rule Para 1992 only - Mar 1 0:00 0 - Rule Para 1992 only - Oct 5 0:00 1:00 S Rule Para 1993 only - Mar 31 0:00 0 - ! Rule Para 1993 max - Oct 1 0:00 1:00 S Rule Para 1994 1995 - Feb lastSun 0:00 0 - Rule Para 1996 max - Mar 1 0:00 0 - # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone America/Asuncion -3:50:40 - LMT 1890 -3:50:40 - AMT 1931 Oct 10 # Asuncion Mean Time --- 435,445 ---- Rule Para 1992 only - Mar 1 0:00 0 - Rule Para 1992 only - Oct 5 0:00 1:00 S Rule Para 1993 only - Mar 31 0:00 0 - ! Rule Para 1993 1995 - Oct 1 0:00 1:00 S Rule Para 1994 1995 - Feb lastSun 0:00 0 - Rule Para 1996 max - Mar 1 0:00 0 - + Rule Para 1996 only - Oct 6 0:00 1:00 S + Rule Para 1997 max - Oct 1 0:00 1:00 S # Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL] Zone America/Asuncion -3:50:40 - LMT 1890 -3:50:40 - AMT 1931 Oct 10 # Asuncion Mean Time

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Timezone changes reported in IATA manual
by gwil＠mindspring.com March 29, 1997

March 29, 1997

I've received the February 1997 edition of the Standard Schedules Information Manual, published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This manual has an appendix of international time zone information, which is intended for use by member airlines in generating and interpreting their service schedules. I compared it line by line with the previous (September 1996) edition. This is a report on the differences. In the following table, "edit" is the date of the edition. "zon" is a code for the time zone, consisting of the ISO 3166 country code followed by a digit, where necessary, to distinguish between different zones in the same country. "stdoff" and "dstoff" are the offsets from GMT to standard time and daylight saving time in the zone, respectively. The rest of each line consists of two pairs of consecutive dates for the beginning and end of daylight saving time in the zone, expressed in UTC (without the century, to save space). For time zones that don't observe DST, the last five columns are blank. For countries in the Southern Hemisphere, the four dates represent the same years. For countries in the Northern Hemisphere, the last two dates reported in the 9/96 manual correspond to the first two dates in the 2/97 manual. To help compare the two rows, I've flagged the items in the second row that differ from the first row, or from what you would expect to find in the continuation of the first row. I hope that line wrapping won't make this table too hard to read. edit zon stdoff dstoff 1st dst start 1st dst end 2nd dst start 2nd dst end ---- --- ------ ------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- 9/96 BR1 -3:00 -2:00 Oct 13 96 03:00 Feb 16 97 02:00 Oct 12 97 03:00 Feb 15 98 02:00 2/97 BR1 -3:00 -2:00 Oct 6 96 03:00 Feb 16 97 02:00 Oct 5 97 03:00 Feb 15 98 02:00 ^^ ^^ 9/96 BR2 -4:00 -3:00 Oct 13 96 04:00 Feb 16 97 03:00 Oct 12 97 04:00 Feb 15 98 03:00 2/97 BR2 -4:00 -3:00 Oct 6 96 04:00 Feb 16 97 03:00 Oct 5 97 04:00 Feb 15 98 03:00 ^^ ^^ 9/96 CL1 -4:00 -3:00 Oct 13 96 04:00 Mar 9 97 03:00 Oct 12 97 04:00 Mar 8 98 03:00 2/97 CL1 -4:00 -3:00 Oct 13 96 04:00 Mar 9 97 03:00 Oct 12 97 04:00 Mar 15 98 03:00 ^^ 9/96 CL2 -6:00 -5:00 Oct 13 96 06:00 Mar 9 97 05:00 Oct 12 97 06:00 Mar 8 98 05:00 2/97 CL2 -6:00 -5:00 Oct 13 96 06:00 Mar 9 97 05:00 Oct 12 97 06:00 Mar 15 98 05:00 ^^ 9/96 CU -5:00 -4:00 Apr 7 96 05:00 Oct 6 96 05:00 Apr 6 97 05:00 Oct 5 97 05:00 2/97 CU -5:00 -4:00 Apr 6 97 05:00 Oct 12 97 05:00 Apr 5 98 05:00 Oct 11 98 05:00 ^^ ^^ 9/96 GE 4:00 5:00 Mar 30 96 20:00 Oct 26 96 19:00 Mar 29 97 20:00 Oct 25 97 19:00 2/97 GE 5:00 9/96 IL 2:00 3:00 Mar 14 96 22:00 Sep 15 96 21:00 Mar 13 97 22:00 Sep 14 97 21:00 2/97 IL 2:00 3:00 Mar 13 97 22:00 Oct 18 97 21:00 Mar 19 98 22:00 Oct 17 98 21:00 ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 9/96 KI2 -10:00 2/97 KI2 14:00 ^^^^^^ 9/96 KI3 -11:00 2/97 KI3 13:00 ^^^^^^ 9/96 KG 5:00 6:00 Apr 13 96 19:00 Sep 28 96 18:00 Apr 12 97 19:00 Sep 27 97 18:00 2/97 KG 5:00 6:00 Apr 12 97 19:00 Sep 27 97 18:00 Apr 11 98 19:00 Oct 26 98 18:00 ^^^^^^ 9/96 LY 1:00 2:00 Mar 30 96 01:00 Sep 30 96 01:00 Mar 30 97 01:00 Sep 30 97 01:00 2/97 LY 1:00 2:00 Mar 27 97 01:00 Oct 2 97 01:00 Mar 26 98 01:00 Oct 1 98 01:00 ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 9/96 MN 8:00 9:00 Mar 30 96 16:00 Oct 24 96 15:00 Mar 29 97 16:00 Oct 23 97 15:00 2/97 MN 8:00 9:00 Mar 29 97 16:00 Sep 27 97 15:00 Mar 28 98 16:00 Sep 26 98 15:00 ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 9/96 NC 11:00 2/97 NC 11:00 12:00 Nov 30 96 15:00 Mar 1 97 15:00 Nov 29 97 15:00 Mar 7 98 15:00 9/96 PY -4:00 -3:00 Oct 1 96 04:00 Mar 1 97 03:00 Oct 1 97 04:00 Mar 1 98 03:00 2/97 PY -4:00 -3:00 Oct 6 96 04:00 Mar 1 97 03:00 Oct 1 97 04:00 Mar 1 98 03:00 ^^ 9/96 LK 6:30 2/97 LK 6:00 9/96 UA1 2:00 3:00 Mar 31 96 01:00 Oct 27 96 01:00 Mar 30 97 01:00 Oct 26 97 01:00 2/97 UA1 2:00 3:00 Mar 30 97 03:00 Oct 26 97 04:00 Mar 29 98 03:00 Oct 25 98 04:00 ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ Descriptions of the changes shown in these manuals are as follows. I've had to make assumptions in order to state the rules. All I can say for sure is that they're consistent with the data. The rules are expressed in local time, with midnight counting as the following day. Brazil has changed the end of DST from the second to the first Sunday in October, starting in 1996. (Actually, the rule implied by previous manuals was Oct Sun>10 or Sun>11, from 1993 to 1997.) Chile has changed the end of DST from the second to the third Sunday in March, starting in 1998. Cuba has changed the end of DST from Oct Sun>4 to Sun>5 (or more), starting in 1997. Georgia has gone on year-round standard time using its former DST offset, probably by failing to change the clocks back in October, 1996. Israel has changed the end of DST from the third Monday in September to the third Sunday in October, starting in 1997. The parts of Kiribati that were east of the International Date Line have set their calendars ahead one day, so that at most times Kiribati will have a uniform date. There's no evidence in the manuals as to when this took effect, but it's also been reported in the news. Kyrgyzstan has changed the end of DST from the last Sunday in September to the last Tuesday in October, starting in 1998. This may be a typo in the manual. If it said Sep 26 instead of Oct 26, that would be consistent with the old rule. Besides, Tuesday is a rather unusual day for DST to end on. Libya has changed the start and end of DST from fixed dates to the last Thursday in March and the first Thursday in October, respectively, starting in 1997. Mongolia has changed the end of DST from the fourth Friday in October to the fourth Sunday in September, starting in 1997. (The October rule only lasted for one year, 1996.) New Caledonia has adopted DST, beginning December 1, 1996 (local time). Paraguay started DST on October 6 instead of October 1 in 1996 only. Sri Lanka has set its clocks back a half hour. There's no evidence in the manuals as to when this took effect. Ukraine, except for Symferopol, has changed the time at which DST begins to 05:00, and the end time to 07:00 (local time). This is rather unusual, and I suspect an error in the manual. There were three other entries in the manual where I am convinced that IATA made an error. I fixed the errors and didn't list them as changes above. Just for the record, here they are. The manual says that: (1) Gibraltar has moved its winter time an hour earlier, but not its summer time, so that in the winter it matches the United Kingdom and in the Summer it matches mainland Spain, with a two-hour change each time. (2) DST ends one day earlier in Kaliningrad Oblast than in the rest of Russia, although it starts on the same day and hour. This is an error that has occurred in previous editions. When the times are expressed in UTC, Kaliningrad is the only one that changes at or after midnight, so the error is easily explained. Someone copied the date for all the Russian entries without noticing that it should have been the following date in Kaliningrad. (3) In Symferopol, the offset from UTC to standard time is three hours. The manual reports that the offset for DST is four hours in 1997, but three hours in 1998. If that were really true, there would be no point in their reporting the DST start and end dates for 1998, because DST would be the same as standard. Note to Paul Eggert: I'll send you new files with these changes incorporated as soon as I have time (probably not in the next week). -- Gwillim Law Gwillim Law gwil(a)mindspring.com

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Progress on summer time directive for the European Union
by peter＠aldie.co.uk March 28, 1997

March 28, 1997

The Transport Council discussed the proposed Eighth Directive on 11 March and agreed it, so it moves forward to the next stage, from a Commission proposal to a Common Position. Many EU documents are now available on the WWW as the EU have opened the previously subscription only RAPID database to everyone. The report of this transport council took a while to arrive but it is there now. RAPID as available at http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/spp/rapid.html The document reference is PRES/97/70, or you can search for `transport council', or you can try the following long URL for the English text version: http://europa.eu.int/rapid/cgi/rapcgi.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=PRES/97/70… It is available in PDF as well, and also in French. The section about Summer Time is quoted below: --------- SUMMER-TIME ARRANGEMENTS The Council reached political agreement by a qualified majority, with France voting against, on a common position prior to adoption of the eighth Directive on summer-time arrangements. Once formally adopted, the common position will be forwarded to the European Parliament for a second reading, in accordance with the co-decision procedure. The aim of the eighth Directive is to harmonize the dates and times for the beginning and end of summer time throughout the Community for the period from 1998 to 2001. In addition, the Council and the Commission approved the following joint declaration: "The Council and the Commission consider that the social and economic implications of the decisions concerning summer-time arrangements justify thorough examination, which will be effected before the eighth Directive elapses. For this purpose, the Commission will forward a detailed report to the Council by 30 June 1999 at the latest, and the Council and the Commission agree to carry out, with the aid of a group comprising representatives of interest groups and Member States' national experts, an in-depth examination of the implications of applying summer-time arrangements, including the institutional aspects of coordination of times between the Member States of the European Union." Furthermore, the United Kingdom made the following unilateral statement: "The United Kingdom states that, while it has no difficulties with the substance of the proposed eighth summer-time Directive, on subsidiarity grounds it considers that Member States' summer-time arrangements would be best addressed in a Recommendation." --------- What this means is: - The eighth directive proposal rules have been accepted. These are the same as the current rules (last Sunday in March and last Sunday in October). The rules will run until 2001. - The French have had their request to abandon summer time turned down. They have been promised some sort of review in 1999 which might change the rules for 2000 and 2001. I personally doubt that anything will happen before a ninth directive as there won't be the time to go though all the necessary steps between 30 June 1999 and March 2000. These people have no sense of deadlines and they will probably all be caught up in Millennium projects by then anyway. - The UK were just stirring things up. Subsidiarity is a Maastricht Treaty buzzword meaning that member states should be free to decide things for themselves unless it is really necessary for things to be done at a European level. A Recommendation rather than a Directive would allow states to ignore it and France could abandon summer time if it felt like it. It is interesting to see the UK using this subsidiarity argument as by doing so they are saying that there is no need to harmonise time arrangements in Europe. This means they will not be able to use the harmonisation argument next time the question of changing the UK's timezone comes up. The next stage is to let the European Parliament have their say, although I don't think they have the power to amend it. Then it is finally confirmed by the Council. This probably won't happen until May. The UK government then has to pass a Staturary Instrument to implement the Directive. My guess is that they won't manage this before Parliament rises for the summer recess so it won't happen until about October. Peter Ilieve peter(a)aldie.co.uk

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Comments on update
by Chris Carrier March 28, 1997

March 28, 1997

Gwillim Law > INTERNET:gwil@mindspring.com wrote on the Subj: Timezone changes reported in IATA manual >I've received the February 1997 edition of the Standard Schedules >Information Manual, published by the International Air Transport >Association (IATA). This manual has an appendix of international time zone >information, which is intended for use by member airlines in generating and >interpreting their service schedules. I compared it line by line with the >previous (September 1996) edition. This is a report on the differences. Thank you for your report. >Brazil has changed the end of DST from the second to the first Sunday in >October, starting in 1996. (Actually, the rule implied by previous manuals >was Oct Sun>10 or Sun>11, from 1993 to 1997.) I presume you mean "beginning of DST" rather than end, because all of Brazil that uses DST is substantially south of the equator, IIRC. >Georgia has gone on year-round standard time using its former DST offset, >probably by failing to change the clocks back in October, 1996. This may have been only a one-year thing, as I remember someone quoting Georgia's President, Schevrednaze (I believe that is the spelling) saying that Georgia would be remaining on DST "this winter" (1996-7) "to save energy." Anyone heard anything about permanent change in Georgia? >Kyrgyzstan has changed the end of DST from the last Sunday in September to >the last Tuesday in October, starting in 1998. This may be a typo in the >manual. If it said Sep 26 instead of Oct 26, that would be consistent with >the old rule. Besides, Tuesday is a rather unusual day for DST to end on. I tend to think typo as well, but they may have changed to the last Sunday in October; as you said, Tuesday is an unusual day for a time change. >Sri Lanka has set its clocks back a half hour. There's no evidence in the >manuals as to when this took effect. Which should make its most famous citizen very happy! (Arthur C. Clarke has been advocating this for >30 years.) >There were three other entries in the manual where I am convinced that IATA >made an error. I fixed the errors and didn't list them as changes above. >Just for the record, here they are. The manual says that: >(1) Gibraltar has moved its winter time an hour earlier, but not its summer >time, so that in the winter it matches the United Kingdom and in the Summer >it matches mainland Spain, with a two-hour change each time. I actually believe this may not be an error. I called up AT&T International Operator twice on two successive nights and they said they have no listing for Gibraltar. I asked for the time in Morocco and was given GMT. Now given that Gibraltar is a British possession and is next to both Morocco and Spain, I can see them staying on GMT in winter and Spanish time in summer. To move in one year from standard time to two hours of DST and back to standard, either in one jump (Newfoundland 1988) or in two one hour jumps (UK 1947) can happen from time to time. BTW, I'm less convinced than I used to be of the infallibility of AT&T, although I still consider it to be the best source available for current time data. This is because they moved the EU back to standard time on 1996 Sep 29, and a couple of weeks later, moved them back ahead, only to then move them back on the actual date of October 27. Would like to ask: is Mexico going to go on DST in 1997 and after? Chris Carrier

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Re: Commentary on time zone policy
by ncm＠cantrip.org March 25, 1997

March 25, 1997

Chris Carrier writes: > Nathan Myers > INTERNET:ncm@cantrip.org wrote: > >... And all such divisions are completely irrelevant, because nobody who > >decides about time zone law reads this list. ... > > I don't see anything wrong with including commentary on various actual and > proposed changes. I apologize for sounding testy. It's frustrating enough keeping up with all the foolishness of law without entertaining suggestions for policy improvements we have no hint of authority to act on. This list is the place changes to the tz database are discussed, and we those of us who follow it must subscribe to keep informed. I meant the suggestion to post in a more appropriate place seriously: your wise analysis is wasted where no reader can act on it. I also meant seriously the suggestion to start a more appropriate list. People who understand politics should be involved, and they are not here. Nathan Myers ncm(a)cantrip.org

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Commentary on time zone policy
by Chris Carrier March 25, 1997

March 25, 1997

I wrote: >>The current list is divided many ways as to what relationship local mean >>time (LMT) should have to local clock time (LCT). ... Nathan Myers > INTERNET:ncm@cantrip.org wrote: >... And all such divisions are completely irrelevant, because nobody who >decides about time zone law reads this list. You do not know that to be a fact, and if some of the more active people on this list have their way, persons in positions to make such decisions will be using this as a resource base. >Please take your opinions about national time zone policies someplace where >they will make a difference. I don't see anything wrong with including commentary on various actual and proposed changes. It is within the scope of this list, or at least not totally irrelevant to time zoning. That I voted for candidate X because I liked his stand on non-time-zone issue Y is irrelevant to this list; opinions on time zoning issues are not, have come from more people than just myself, (you may note that I was replying to another proposal in my post) and are, AFAIK, welcome from the people who run this list. Chris Carrier

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Re: DST switching dates
by ncm＠cantrip.org March 22, 1997

March 22, 1997

> Nathan Myers > INTERNET:ncm@cantrip.org wrote: > > >Clearly the only sensible approach to time would be [something] > > ... However, it's a > >waste of everybody's time and attention to discuss this here. We techies > >are constrained to chase after whatever foolish decisions are made in the > >parliaments and politburos of world. This list is about details of that > >chase. From: Chris Carrier <72157.3334(a)CompuServe.COM> > The current list is divided many ways as to what relationship local mean > time (LMT) should have to local clock time (LCT). ... ... And all such divisions are completely irrelevant, because nobody who decides about time zone law reads this list. Please take your opinions about national time zone policies someplace where they will make a difference. Nathan Myers ncm(a)cantrip.org

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DST switching dates
by Chris Carrier March 22, 1997

March 22, 1997

Nathan Myers > INTERNET:ncm@cantrip.org wrote: >Clearly the only sensible approach to time would be to leave the damn >clocks alone, and change schedules to match reality. However, it's a >waste of everybody's time and attention to discuss this here. We techies >are constrained to chase after whatever foolish decisions are made in the >parliaments and politburos of world. This list is about details of that >chase. >Maybe there should be another list to help discover strategies to influence >idiot politicians. I hope that those of you who are interested in the idea >will create that list, instead of using this one. The current list is divided many ways as to what relationship local mean time (LMT) should have to local clock time (LCT). One the one hand we have persons like yourself who advocate standard time throughout the year (at least I think that is what you are advocating) and alternatively we have advocates for up to three hours of year-round DST such as Peter Hullah, who stated that everyone "should add two hours to their current standard time" all year round. (Since he lives in France, that would be three hours ahead of local mean time.) (A thought: has anyone here in favor of DST in REVERSE?) Garrett Wollman > INTERNET:wollman@LCS.MIT.EDU wrote in reply to me: >On 20 Mar 97 23:41:37 EST, Chris Carrier <72157.3334(a)CompuServe.COM> said: >>Unfortunately things seem to be going in the other direction, given the EU's >>decision to copy the US/UK bad habit of ending DST on the last Sunday in >>OCTOBER, by the end of which the sun is rising later than the large majority >>of day-shift workers get up. >And those of us who live in cities like Boston, which have ``night >life'' rather than ``morning life'' think this is perfectly >reasonable.... DST rules should not be determined by cities such as Boston, but by cities on the western edge of timezones such as Cleveland in the Eastern or Dallas in the Central (and places like Indiana and West Texas should go back an hour into their astronomically correct zone.) Sue Ann Bowling > INTERNET:sbowling@gi.alaska.edu wrote: >The dates of daylight savings shift, and the assymmetry between the spring >shift (when we in Alaska are already pracitically going to bed in daylight) >and October (when it's already dark when we're going home in the evening) >have bothered me for years. The problem in Alaska isn't DST but that ever since October 1983 most of the state, except for Southeast, has been on DST all year with a 2 hour advance during the DST period in the Lower 48. >I wonder if the politicos who first devised the shift thought that solar >symmetry was around the middle of the winter and summer? It seems to have been a thing that evolved. When DST first went US-national in 1918-9, it run from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. When many states and localities started using it in 1920 in the absence of national legislation, they shortened it by a month on each end, from the last Sunday in April (a ridiculously late date in Lower 48 latitudes) to the (very sensible) last Sunday in September. This went on until 1942-5 when DST was national and year round for the war. It should be noted here that the War Time Act of 1942 called for DST to last until six months after the end of the war, but when the war did end in the summer of 1945 a bill was quickly passed to end War Time on the last Sunday in September, 1945. What I call the "October problem" started in Massachusetts when the legislature there extended DST to the end of October, starting in 1954. (IMHO they should have left September alone and started a month earlier if they wanted an extended DST period.) The next year New York and the rest of New England got on the bandwagon, and by 1962 most places on DST were ending on the last Sunday in October. (A few, however, shortened the end to Labor Day - - Minnesota was one.) Then along came the Uniform Time Act of 1966 which set up the dates of the last Sunday in April to October, nationwide. It should be pointed out that when this bill was originally introduced it did not put the whole country on DST but only stated that anyone using DST had to abide by April Sun=>24 to October Sun =>25 switch dates. Unfortunately the bill was then rewritten to put the whole nation on DST unless states exempted themselves. An amendment to the bill reducing the DST period from Memorial to Labor Day unfortunately failed; this was reintroduced in 1970 and also failed. After the 1974-5 experience with a much earlier start to DST, bills were introduced in each Congress from 1976 on to increase the DST period until in 1987, one passed to move the start date from the last to the first Sunday in April. My position during those years was to support the earlier change if and only if the ending date was moved back to the last Sunday in September. In 1981 I was happy to see the EEC (later known as the EC, now known as the EU) adopt last Sunday March-September for its continental members, hoping this would inspire the UK and US to do likewise and create something like the Livingston worldwide-switch-day proposal (which is what the UTA of 1966 was and should have been). But alas, this was not to be. >Anyway, a popular science article I wrote on the topic 10 >years ago is on the web at ><http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF8/812.html>, pointing out some of >the oddities of time zones here in our 60 degree wide state. I used to write similar articles for the BARROW SUN and the ALEUTIAN EAGLE 1987-92 (when they folded). If you are interested I could send you one I wrote in October 1988 commenting on the fifth anniversary of the consolidation of time zones in Alaska five years earlier. Eric Ulevik > INTERNET:eau@ozemail.com.au wrote: >It is extremely unlikely that time zone rules will be simplified >to make life easier for computers. For example: sunrise and sunset >in Hobart vary sufficiently from Sydney that they are always going >to want to have different summer time start/end dates. Another >example: Adelaide has an offset of <hours>:30m from GMT. Nor should they. Time zone rules should be set by wake-sleep patterns, not the perceived need of the business community to have everyone on the same time: (A fabulous letter to the London Times during the British Standard Time period (1968-71) put it thusly: "We have 3000 telephone links between Britain and the Continent. Why do we need to get 55 million people out of bed in the dark to answer them?") >Having said that, I have an idea for how to simplify time zone rules. >A 'mean local time' can be calculated based upon location on the >earth's surface. This time can be algorithmically biased to >allow for daylight savings, smoothly varying over the year. Clocks >can use GPS and the standard algorithm to calculate this time. >Of course, this was the case before standard time, but transport >and communications go faster these days. Which is why it could never be practically adopted. If I were at the Meridian Convention in Washington, DC, USA, in (I believe) 1881, where they settled on Greenwich as the meridian, (a good decision IMHO) I would have advocated a planetwide version of what the German State Railways were doing. They had time zones based on Berlin, with each zone 10 minutes in time (2.5 degrees of longitude) apart. What I would have wanted would be such a system of 144 time zones, 10 minutes apart, centered on Greenwich. >The problem here is that administrative units - say Sydney - >may wish to adopt a standard time, but then we end not >having algorithmically determined time. Actually the problem is that organizations which deal in a large area such as railways and, in our century, broadcasters, need to have uniform time over a large area. There were many standard 'railway times' before standard time was introduced to reduce confusion in this area. >3) Time near the poles probably needs a special case. Would you believe the South Pole keeps DST? The first commander of the Pole Station wanted to keep GMT, but discovered it was more convenient to keep the time of their supply line; McMurdo Sound, which kept the same time as New Zealand. Since NZ has had a seasonal time change since 1974, McMurdo follows suit, and so does the Pole Station.

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