SV: [HECnet] Hecnet map update

[Paul_Koning at Dell.com]

Just remember that there are about 600 timezones.   While there are only about 30 different offset values at any one time, the rules by which they change during the year vary randomly all over the map.       Timezones are   much much messier than a lot of people realize.

	paul

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE [mailto:owner-hecnet at Update.UU.SE] On Behalf Of Peter Coghlan
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 6:59 AM
To: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Subject: Re: SV: [HECnet] Hecnet map update

I like the idea of expanding the info.txt .. time zone column

Fine by me.     How is time zone expressed?   Simply giving a numeric offset
from GMT is problematic for places that observe daylight savings time - 
we'd have to update the file twice every year.   Can we use something like PST8PDT??


If we want to specify a time zone, the only reasonable way to do it is numerically, specifying both hours and minutes as not all timezones are on hour boundaries. Strings such as PST and PDT are not defined for all timezones, are not unique and many are not well understood at a distance. I am told that EST means two different things in Australia and another in the US for example.

Regards,
Peter Coghlan.