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New tz-link section on coordination

* tz-link.html: New section "Coordinating with governments and
distributors".  (Thanks to Neil Fuller for some of the text.)
* NEWS: Mention this.
Paul Eggert hace 3 años
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Se han modificado 2 ficheros con 47 adiciones y 17 borrados
  1. 3 0
      NEWS
  2. 44 17
      tz-link.html

+ 3 - 0
NEWS

@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ Unreleased, experimental changes
 
 
   Changes to commentary
   Changes to commentary
 
 
+    tz-link.html has a new section "Coordinating with governments and
+    distributors".  (Thanks to Neil Fuller for some of the text.)
+
     To improve tzselect diagnostics, zone1970.tab's comments column is
     To improve tzselect diagnostics, zone1970.tab's comments column is
     now limited to countries that have multiple timezones.
     now limited to countries that have multiple timezones.
 
 

+ 44 - 17
tz-link.html

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