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Re: [ddlm-group] Minor change to DateTime DDLm type

Dear Herbert,

Thank you for the response. However, I think that we are
coming from slightly different considerations. Yes, sometimes
the main issue is the accuracy in which case the SU approach
would be the more correct one (although given a moment in time
and no information of how it was recorded, I guess the SU would
also involve some speculation).

However, the issue somewhat touches on the ease of use of certain
data items. If a person wants to record a timestamp of relative precision
and the missing parts are simply not relevant, writing something like:

_last_coffee_break       2025-05-08T17:38+03:00

seems much more convenient than something like

_last_coffee_break       2025-05-08T17:38:00+03:00
_last_coffee_break_su 60 # let's say it is in seconds

(if I understood your suggestion correctly).

Furthermore, the current timestamp format already
allows to include or exclude milliseconds as one sees
fit, so extending this to seconds or minutes would follow
the same logic, but tailored more to human limitations.

Sincerely,
Antanas

On Fri, 2 May 2025 at 16:11, Herbert J. Bernstein <yayahjb@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you for the clarification.  If I understand the history correctly, the problem is not the definition of the time stamp, but the accuracy of the information in the time stamp reported.
If we are in DDL2 this would be a perfect for use of _ESD.  Then we could record an estimated
uncertainty of a few milliseconds for a time stamp controlled by the network time protocol, or a few minutes for a time stamp handled by somebody's old hand-set rolex or Hamilton railroader, or a year or two for data scrapped from a pubiished journal.  No new definitions would be required, and the scientific record would be as accurate as it is feasible for us to make it.
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--
Antanas Vaitkus,
Vilnius University,
Life Sciences Center,
Institute of Biotechnology,
room C521, SaulÄ—tekio al. 7,
LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania


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