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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!mulga!kre
From: kre@mulga.SUN (Robert Elz)
Newsgroups: net.mail.headers
Subject: Re: Several questions/comments on time zones
Message-ID: <207@mulga.SUN>
Date: Tue, 7-Feb-84 01:15:11 EST
Article-I.D.: mulga.207
Posted: Tue Feb  7 01:15:11 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 21:33:06 EST
References: <840129150352.738172@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA>
Organization: Comp Sci, Melbourne Uni, Australia
Lines: 19

For anyone that thinks that time zone names are parsable, consider
that "EST" means Eastern Standard Time (Australian time that is,
GMT-10) between March & October (approx), and Eastern Summer Time
(that is GMT-9) between November and February.

(Dates when daylight saving switches on/off are approximate, anyone
interested in precise details may consult 4.2bsd libc/gen/ctime.c)

For example, examine the header of this message, it should indicate
that it is being sent at something like "Feb 7 00:15 EST 1984".
Current time (according to "date -u") is Feb 6 13:15 GMT.

A unique, unambiguous, time stamp in mail headers is really
worth having.  Including local time (probably best as a comment
in the header, as was suggested in another item) is a good
idea too, as that does have meaning, provided that you're smart
enough (have enough additional knowledge) to parse it correctly.

Robert Elz			decvax!mulga!kre