[tz] Fwd: [apps-discuss] Proposed working group: Timezone Data Distribution Service (tzdist)

[Guy Harris]

On Jul 3, 2014, at 8:34 AM, todd <tglassey at certichron.com> wrote:

> Are you proposing an IETF WG then to standardize it?

*I'm* proposing no such thing.

I'm just noting that, given the time when the tz database was originally created, expressing surprise that the sample code read the time zone information from a file on the system, so that updates require new versions of the file to be installed, rather than getting it from an ARPANET-based server, is a bit ahistorical, given that the tz database was created at a time when access to the ARPANET was not available to a lot of UN*X systems.

"Perhaps it should be rethought at this point" isn't a proposal for an IETF WG, it's just a note that, as times have changed, perhaps rethinking the way the tz database information is made available is worthwhile.

*These* people:

	https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/charter-ietf-tzdist/

appear to be proposing a WG to "Define a timezone data distribution protocol that allows for efficient, timely updates of timezone data to be delivered to clients.  This protocol must scale to vast numbers of clients, such as the potential "internet of things" devices, as well as to today's desktop computers and servers." and to "Define an extension to CalDAV (RFC 4791) to allow clients and servers to use timezones "by reference" to improve the efficiency of the overall protocol."

If that's what you mean by "standardize it", then *they're* the ones "proposing an IETF WG then to standardize it".