ietf-nntp Section 11.5 - NEWNEWS

[Paul Overell]

In article <20001116120658.N47729 at demon.net>, Clive D.W. Feather
<clive at demon.net> writes
>
>Can I suggest the following changes ?
>
>DATE:
>
>  DATE
>  This command exists to help clients find out the current time
>  from the server's perspective.  This command SHOULD NOT be
>  used as a substitute for NTP[7], but to provide information
>! that might be useful when using the NEWGROUPS and NEWNEWS commands
>! (see sections 11.3 and 11.4).
>  
>  This command returns a one-line response code of 111 followed
>! by the date and time on the server in the form
>  YYYYMMDDhhmmss.
>

OK so far.

>+ The date and time are given in the server's approximation to UT
>+ (otherwise known as GMT). The server is not required to track leap
>+ seconds or UT/TAI/UTC variations exactly, nor need the server's clock
>+ be accurate to within 1 second.
>
>

I think invoking UT/TAI/UTC/ is muddying the waters.  It's in UTC (not
UT, not TAI, not POSIX).  Saying what accuracy is not required doesn't
say what accuracy is required.  I suggest:

        The date and time are given in UTC.  The date and time SHOULD be
        accurate.

Using "SHOULD" gives the server the get-out if they can't support leap
seconds or if their clock drifts a bit, but if they can get it right
then they SHOULD.



Regards
-- 
Paul Overell                                             T U R N P I K E