[tz] Policy Suggestion: Minimum time period betwen releases

[Brian Inglis]

On 2023-03-27 15:31, Kim Davies via tz wrote:
> Quoting Robert Elz via tz on Tuesday March 28, 2023:
>> The only thing we can do is attempt to educate and influence the decision
>> makers, and their advisors, of the impacts of these kinds of actions, and
>> attempt to convince them to make considered decisions, with plenty of
>> advance notice.

> I think this is correct. It is something we've been trying to do in
> the background as opportunities have presented themselves. I think the
> flurry of activity over the last month or so will inform a useful case
> study for future discussions.
> 
> My ICANN colleagues in the Middle East have suggested convening a
> meeting of responsible policy makers in the region to educate them
> on the practicalities of the time zone database and best practices
> for future policy making. If this idea comes to fruition hopefully we
> can promote knowledge building on sound practices, although sometimes
> the government bureaucracy is fully aware but politicians will make
> decisions regardless.

Perhaps emphasize how *stupid* these actions make the politicians involved look 
globally, and how widely they will be mocked, as these are great stories for 
opposition politicians, inter-/national broadsheets and especially tabloids, as 
well as hostile foreign government controlled media, providing opportunities to 
denigrate the government, people, and country.

It is not as if DST or potential disruptors, such as Ramadan, school terms, or 
national holiday dates, to name some previous influences, are not known months 
in advance.
Inability to handle these trivial common changes, also reflects badly on the 
country, and how badly it is likely to handle major international obligations, 
such as financial support, thus requiring close international control, 
supervision, and monitoring.

To make the points, it would be advisable to include: global finance folks from 
the IMF or WB who can demonstrate economic impacts; IATA folks who issue large 
fines for short notice changes affecting times to explain travel impacts; 
software vendors involved on this list: at least Apple, Google, Microsoft?, 
Oracle; to provide perspective on how long it takes to validate all the details 
of changes from government sources, apply it, build, test, then distribute 
updates to corporate and end user desktops and servers; and telcos for 
considerations for mobiles.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer     but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry