On 2012 Jul 3, at 18:13, Vadim Antonov wrote:
PS. I would vote for using TAI instead of UTC as the non-relativistic time base in computer systems.
A problem with the use of TAI is that the BIPM and CCTF (who make TAI) expressed strongly that they do not want it used as a system time in document CCTF09-27 http://www.bipm.org/cc/CCTF/Allowed/18/CCTF_09-27_note_on_UTC-ITU-R.pdf so strongly that they end by contemplating the discontinuation of TAI. Unless there is international agreement that a time scale should be used, and support of the agency making that time scale, there will be trouble. The only way out of those constraints is to have the wherewithal of the US DoD or the Chinese government who simply asserted that the GPS system time and Beidou system time would be something other than those international standards. -- Steve Allen <sla@ucolick.org> WGS-84 (GPS) UCO/Lick Observatory Natural Sciences II, Room 165 Lat +36.99855 University of California Voice: +1 831 459 3046 Lng -122.06015 Santa Cruz, CA 95064 http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/ Hgt +250 m