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@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ area.
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<li><a href="#tzdb">The <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> database</a></li>
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<li><a href="#download">Downloading the <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> database</a></li>
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<li><a href="#changes">Changes to the <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> database</a></li>
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+ <li><a href="#coordinating">Coordinating with governments and distributors</li>
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<li><a href="#commentary">Commentary on the <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> database</a></li>
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</ul>
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</li>
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@@ -215,23 +216,6 @@ discussions</a> and corresponding data changes can be
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generated <a href="https://github.com/timparenti/tzdata-meta">automatically</a>.
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</p>
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<p>
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-If your government plans to change its time zone boundaries or
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-daylight saving rules, inform <code>tz@iana.org</code> well in
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-advance, as this will coordinate updates to many cell phones,
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-computers, and other devices around the world.
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-The change should be officially announced at least a year before it affects
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-how clocks operate; otherwise, there is a good chance that some
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-clocks will operate incorrectly after the change, due
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-to delays in propagating updates to software and data. The shorter
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-the notice, the more likely clock problems will arise; see "<a
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-href="https://codeofmatt.com/2016/04/23/on-the-timing-of-time-zone-changes/">On
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-the Timing of Time Zone Changes</a>" for examples.
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-The <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> data can represent planned changes
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-far into the future, and a long-planned change can easily be reverted
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-or otherwise altered with a year's notice before the change would have
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-affected clocks.
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-</p>
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-<p>
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Changes to the <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> code and data are often
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propagated to clients via operating system updates, so
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client <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> data can often be corrected by
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@@ -286,6 +270,49 @@ displays changes between recent <code><abbr>tzdb</abbr></code> versions.
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</p>
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</section>
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+<section>
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+<h2 id="coordinating">Coordinating with governments and distributors</h2>
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+<p>
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+If your government plans to change its time zone boundaries or
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+daylight saving rules, please send email to <a
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+href="mailto:tz@iana.org"><code>tz@iana.org</code></a> well in advance,
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+as this will coordinate updates to many cell phones,
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+computers, and other devices around the world.
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+In your email, please cite the legislation or regulation that specifies
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+the change, so that it can be checked for details such as the exact times
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+when clock transitions occur.
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+It is OK if a rule change is planned to affect clocks
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+far into the future, as a long-planned change can easily be reverted
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+or otherwise altered with a year's notice before the change would have
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+affected clocks.</p>
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+<p>
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+There is no fixed schedule for <code><abbr>tzdb</abbr></code> releases.
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+However, typically a release occurs every few months.
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+Many downstream timezone data distributors wait for
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+a <code><abbr>tzdb</abbr></code> release before they produce an update
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+to time zone behavior in consumer devices and software products.
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+After a release, various parties must integrate, test,
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+and roll out an update before <a
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+href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_user">end users</a> see changes.
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+These updates can be expensive, for both the <a
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+href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_assurance">quality
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+assurance</a> process and the overall cost of shipping and installing
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+updates to each device's copy of <code><abbr>tzdb</abbr></code>.
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+Updates may be batched with other updates and may take substantial
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+time to reach end users after a release.
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+Older devices may no longer be supported and thus may never be updated,
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+which means they will continue to use out-of-date rules.</p>
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+<p>
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+For these reasons any rule change should be promulgated at least a
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+year before it affects how clocks operate; otherwise, there is a good
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+chance that many clocks will operate incorrectly after the change, due
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+to delays in propagating updates to software and data.
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+The shorter the notice, the more likely clock problems will arise; see "<a
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+href="https://codeofmatt.com/2016/04/23/on-the-timing-of-time-zone-changes/">On
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+the Timing of Time Zone Changes</a>" for examples.
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+</p>
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+</section>
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+
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<section>
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<h2 id="commentary">Commentary on the <code><abbr>tz</abbr></code> database</h2>
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<ul>
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