Re: Bug: Status/Summary of slashdot leap-second crash on new years 2008-2009

[Linas Vepstas]

2009/1/4 David Newall <davidn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> david@xxxxxxx wrote:
>> then new zoneinfo files need to be sent out every time there is a leap
>> second (which from other posts on this thread is potentially every month)
>
> Not every few months, for goodness sake!  Leap seconds aren't that
> common!

But they could be.  Appearenly, there was a very long,
multi-year lull, where no leap-seconds were required.
Its not fully understood why, as they used to be common.
Maybe its the melting glaciers :-)

There *was* talk of eliminating them forever (so as to
avoid this kind of bug, which affects banks, satellites,
telecom equipment, etc.) but I guess they didn't do it.

--linas
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