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

Robert Elz kre at munnari.OZ.AU
Mon Apr 1 14:45:10 UTC 2013


    Date:        Mon, 1 Apr 2013 14:58:27 +0200
    From:        Tobias Conradi <tobias.conradi at gmail.com>
    Message-ID:  <CAAGevbX_K5E174-F5PVXuytbA4cie-+tkhiKiQFaMaz5Oz7uhA at mail.gmail.com>

  | So it is not EST in the legislation?

There are no abbreviations in the legislation.   Abbreviations
are not needed at all, using them is a mistake.

  | >  It is also (if unimaginative) a rational name, unlike
  | > "daylight saving" which is gibberish.
  | I would not call EST a name,

Not EST, "Summer Time" which is what it is called.

  | but more an acronym and it is one used in
  | the IANA timezone database for Eastern non-DST time as well as DST

You keep missing the point, in Aust there is no such thing as DST, there
is Summer Time.   Eastern Summer Time and Central Summer Time (no Western...)

  | >(and appropriate here is nothing from the commonwealth govt,
  | Why?

Because the commonwealth govt is not responsible for time in Aust, the
states are.   Aust was formed as a commonwealth of several independent states,
who gave a list of specific powers to the commonwealth govt (defence,
international relations, trade ... you can read the Aust constitution if
you want a full list - the states can also hand over power for specific
issues if they feel inclined)    Everything not expressly granted to the
commonwealth govt remains the responsibility of the states - which includes
what the time is.

  | >  and certainly not the Bureau of Met).
  | Why?

They're an agency of the commonwealth govt (see above) with responsibility
for forecasting the weather (and related issues) - if you were to pick a
national agency that came closer to responsibility for time it would be the
national measurement lab.    But they're intelligent enough not to try and
step all over state responsibilities.

kre



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