[tz] [PATCH 4/4] yellow flags

[Marc Lehmann]

On Tue, Aug 13, 2013 at 02:32:58PM -0700, Paul Eggert <eggert at cs.ucla.edu> wrote:
> > reducing the quality of the tz distribution(s)
> > (which were beyond outstanding) for political
> > reasons
> 
> No real reduction in quality is being proposed.

What is "real" and what not is very subjective - introducing changes in
the database for non-technical reasons increases the risk of errors,
increases the amount of work due to unnecessary changes and so on.

Sure, the reduction is probably offset by giving you (and the list)
more freedom in doing other, more important work, so it is probably net
positive (and you are doing a great job), but it does set a precedent,
something unheard of in earlier times, when the tz database was purely
concerned for technical merits, rather than political correctness.

> There's no significant difference in behavior between
> the current and proposed data.

"significant" is also subjective. If it breaks something, somewhere, it
was signifcant in that case, and you can't just dismiss it by saying it
isn't signifant.

Change for the sake of change, even if it seems significant, often isn't.

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