Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 12:09:51 -0400 From: "Olson, Arthur David (NIH/NCI)" <olsona@dc37a.nci.nih.gov> Message-ID: <75DDD376F2B6B546B722398AC161106C7403FA@nihexchange2.nih.gov> | Maximum total cost: 650 million computers * three twentieths of a cent: | $975,000 (ulp!) Why do we need to spend that much? I'm confused. At first I thought the 400 years in advance stuff was as far as we wanted to predict he future (and shouldn't the code be generating "stardate 1603.8" by then anyway?) But then I saw some reference to what happens after the 400 years, where the rules are to be condensed into an algorithm (kind of like the posix string) and then any future time constructed from that. The conversion generated is fantasy, we all know that, but that isn't the point of this mail. If at some future point the code is going to switch from the tables, to an algorithmic conversion, why bloat the tables by including so much speculative future data? We know that none of us is able to predict the rules with any accuracy more than a year or two in advance in the best case - for many, we can't even keep in advance of the changes. If that algorithmic conversion is to happen, why not have it kick in much closer to now - say 20 years in advance, instead of 400 (and yes, even earlier than the old format zone files ran out of table data). The conversions all a combination of smoke, mirrors, and superstition out there anyway. If the rules change (or rather, when the rules change) people need new zone files anyway, if they don't change, there's no reason the algorithmic conversion can't keep on being used, way out into the time when it is being used for current & even past time conversions (it may be slower, but anyone who cares can just update their zone tables). kre