[tz] Ambiguous abbreviations for Australian timezones when daylight savings is in affect

[David Patte ₯]

I think its quite clear what the most common standard is. AEST / AEDT 
(and likewise westward) are the national standards. It is also a clear 
and unambiguous selection for those unfamiliar with local custom, and to 
the majority of Australians that come to this list.

And to finally clarify it and put it everything in perspective, the site 
from the communityrelations.lawlink says the standards follow the above 
rules, though "summer time is commonly expressed as EDST".

When the approved standard is as in my first line, but a common usage is 
often "EDST", then you go with the goverment standard, not the common 
usage. This is not the USA we are talking about here - its Australia, 
where its citizens tend to somewhat respect the national laws and 
standards used by the government they have voted for.

Are people suggesting we should go with Daylight Saving's' time (which 
is the 'common expression' in many parts of the USA) when the standard 
is Daylight Saving (no 's') time? Or worse yet, when some people use 
one, and some the other - we should then impose a third ambiguous 
expression upon users of our database, as we are doing now?

I'm tired of this debate, as we all are, but clearly the noise can 
reduced by using the AEST/AEDT (and like) abbreviations over what is 
defined now.



It clearly states on one of the examples presented that the Australian 
standard is as above but in some calles
On 2013-03-30 22:00, Zoidiasoft Technologies wrote:
> I think it is somewhat dishonest to use this as an argument not to
> change them. If you don't use them, and don't care about them, why do
> you care about keeping them the same?
>
> -------
>
> Because we don't want to work ourselves to death with constant 
> changes. Someone will complain that we caved and will insist on 
> changing it back to what it was before or someone else will come in 
> and say it was changed the wrong way.  Until there is an agreed upon 
> standard there will be no stability; so to not change is the best 
> move.  When everybody in Australia comes to an agreement on what those 
> abbreviations should be, let us know.
>
> Sincerely,
> Curtis Manwaring
>
>


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