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

Linas Vepstas
2009-01-05T05:48:42Z

2009/1/4 David Newall <davidn@davidnewall.com>:
> david@lang.hm 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