[clug] timezone amusements.

[Robert Thorsby]

On 05/03/09 21:59:58, Tomasz Ciolek wrote:
> It has recently come to my attention that
> timezone data that ships with Debian and
> Ubuntu suffers from some (major, in my
> option) problems with time zone naming
> abbreviations that are displayed by 'date'
> command and coded into /etc/localtime.
> here is a summary of what I am seeing:
> 
> 1. What seems to be happenign is that the
> debain tzdata package (which is downstream
> build from gnu libc6 source) uses EST and
> EDT instead of AEST and AEDT to designate
> Australian Eastern Standard time and
> Australian Eastern Daylight Time.

Despite the URL reference to a Federal Govt website, "AEST" and "AEDT" 
are *not* standard or proper abbreviations. The States, which govern 
the matter of time, prescribe "Eastern Standard Time" and "EST". NSW 
has no prescription for Daylight Saving Time so "DST" or "EDT" are just 
as *correct* as AEDT.

But, BTAIM, AEST is wrong and EST is correct.

Which goes to show that you shouldn't believe everything the govt tells 
you.

Robert Thorsby
Bigot, n. One who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion 
that you do not entertain. -- Ambrose Bierce