[tz] Estimate for a new tzdb release with Brazil rules.

[Tim Parenti]

On Thu, 16 May 2019 at 06:57, Robert Elz <kre at munnari.oz.au> wrote:

> Further, since we got lots of advance notice of the Brazil change, which
> is what we always say we want, we should be providing positive feedback
> for that good behaviour by making sure that all distributors have the
> best possible chance of making the updated rules available long before
> they are to take effect, so when that happens it will be as seamless as
> possible, and perhaps act as an example for others how to manage things
> to avoid needless disruption.
>

+1 to providing positive feedback.  Our strategy for releases has more or
less been "only when there's something that has become urgent", which sends
an undesirable mixed message: Why should one provide ample notice for their
changes if their timely dissemination relies on someone else *failing* to
provide ample notice for their own?

For as low-volume as our changes are, I don't think cron is necessarily the
best strategy, though, and obviously, manually turning the crank on a
release is non-trivial, so there's a desire to batch changes together when
possible.  However, the strategy must be more nuanced than "sit on things
until we *have* to deal with them".  (I think it already is, but I can see
how a perception that it isn't might arise.)  For something ~6 months out,
perhaps waiting ~4–6 weeks to catch straggling changes is warranted, but
waiting much longer seems self-defeating.  Perhaps it also depends on
time-of-year: We're now out of the traditional "silly season" and are
therefore less likely to get too many more changes before Brazil's would
become urgent, which tips the balance more toward releasing sooner, rather
than waiting.

--
Tim Parenti
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