Fw: Time Zone Names

John Cowan cowan at locke.ccil.org
Tue Oct 6 18:46:46 UTC 1998


Jake Knoppers wrote:

> The 3-digit time zones are stable  they change only when there is a change
> in jurisdiction (.e.g. the break-up of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia,
> Ethiopia, etc.) led to the creation of new jurisdictions.

What "3-digit time zones"?  Do you imagine that there is only
one time zone per (ISO 3166) country?  There can be as many as 15
per country in concurrent use, and 30 or more once historical
information is taken into account.

> (2) Time zones are physical boundary oriented and one needs to have
> unambiguous identification and referencing in a linguistically neutral and
> IT-enabled manner of of the authoritative sources stating the rules for
> each disrcete time zones[.]

If only there were such authoritative sources!  We have to muddle through
as best we can here.
 
-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan at ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)



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