[tz] Preparing to fork tzdb

[Stephen Colebourne]

On Mon, 20 Sept 2021 at 11:48, Eliot Lear via tz <tz at iana.org> wrote:
> I think it's a bad idea to fork for a great many reasons, only a few of which are the following:
>
> Time confusion going forward, with new inconsistencies being introduced.
> Implementer confusion in terms of which code base is more up-to-date; worse if the code base fragments.
> Fragmentation of expertise among volunteers
>
> I fear that you drastically underestimate the effort that has been required to maintain both the code and the data.

If you read carefully, my original mail proposed forking the data - it
did not propose forking the code. I imagine this would be a case where
the fork would follow each commit in tzdb, including the code changes,
but seeking to maintain the data set as it should be.

> I would suggest an alternative: the policy of this group is set in an RFC, and that RFC can be updated if there is consensus in this community to do so.  If the community doesn't like the policy, it can change it, and continue to gain the benefit of one another.

Right now there is effectively a schedule gun being held to our heads
- if we do not act a new release will come out with the disputed
changes in it. The tzdb coordinator still has the option to revert the
changes and reset the discussion.

Stephen