12:23 pm | 0 recommendations | 3 comments

Time to Cooperate

The U.S. government is changing Daylight Savings Time. And now they are messing with seconds. The government wants to eliminate the leap seconds that are added every few years to keep time accurate to the earth's rotation. They argue this adherence is no longer necessary with the advent of GPS. This is angering the international science community.

Organizations risk a backlash when they force their vision upon others, whether it is a government regulating science or a corporation pushing a new digital format. In our global economy, the corporate community should actually communicate. Businesses shouldn't strong-arm rivals or partners. The negative impact of lost alliances and possible public animosity lessens any gain from the original proposition.

The American government should have discussed this with the scientific community and found a collaborative solution. Corporations should have open discussions and create standards they all agree upon. And if standards can't be met, the marketplace will determine the standard. It's better than one company forcing its way upon others.