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All these posts on HN about DST with no mention of impacts on systems? DST sucks on embedded systems, especially when the change dates are changed. Not knowing
by ctdonath 15y ago
All these posts on HN about DST with no mention of impacts on systems?
DST sucks on embedded systems, especially when the change dates are changed. Not knowing the local DST standard, or not being able to update fielded systems when legislation changes the DST dates, means a system may be on the "wrong" time for days, weeks or months. Many are opting to abandon automatic time changes for "hour+1" user settings, or ignoring DST altogether.
Could be amusing to compute how much worldwide total storage and CPU time is devoted to handling DST.
- delinka 15y agoMy opinion goes like this: all computer systems should track time in GMT and not care in which timelines the humans live. Your admin (or his software) in NY can convert to local time when he needs it. Your backup admin in LA can do the same thing. Why a system at this point in tech history needs to keep local time is beyond my understanding.
- delinka 15y agoOf course I meant "timezones" and not "timelines" - thank you, autocorrect.
- ctdonath 15y agoEMBEDDED systems. There is no admin who can just tweak a field for hundreds or thousands of devices out, not networked, who knows where.
- delinka 15y agoI still don't see why an embedded system cares about timezones. It measures ticks. That's all.