Network Working Group D.F.A.C.
Request for Comments: AST-0001 Chronometry Desk
Category: Informational June 2026
ISSN: 0000-0000
American Standard Time (AST)
A Civil Time Notation for Operations
Status of This Memo
This memo provides information for the chronometric community. It
does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of
this memo is unlimited.
Implementers are reminded that the key words "MUST", "MUST NOT",
"REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT",
"RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described by RFC 2119 and RFC 8174
when, and only when, they appear in all capitals.
Abstract
American Standard Time (AST) defines a freedom-aligned civil time
notation for public implementation, private amusement, operational
dashboards, maintenance windows, coffee logistics, and any committee
requiring a timestamp with official posture.
AST divides one modern day into 2 Shifts, 10 Blocks, 60 Rounds,
720 Slices, and 36,000 Ticks. The resulting system is tidy enough
for computers and strange enough for procurement.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Terminology
3. Unit Definitions
4. AST Time Notation
5. Calendar Rules
6. Examples
7. Operational Guidance
8. IANA Considerations
9. Security Considerations
10. Acknowledgements
11. Author's Address
1. Introduction
Existing civil time divides the day into hours, minutes, and seconds.
This convention is widely deployed, but it lacks the institutional
confidence required by modern incident reports and morale-sensitive
scheduling.
AST addresses this deficiency by defining a daily hierarchy of
Shifts, Blocks, Rounds, Slices, and Ticks. The hierarchy provides
human-scale planning units while preserving exact conversion to the
modern 24-hour day.
2. Terminology
Tick
The base AST unit. A Tick is exactly 2.4 modern seconds.
Slice
A short coordination interval consisting of 50 Ticks.
Round
A meeting, maintenance, or briefing interval consisting of
12 Slices.
Block
A major planning interval consisting of 6 Rounds.
Shift
A half-day operating interval consisting of 5 Blocks.
Day
A complete civil day consisting of 2 Shifts.
3. Unit Definitions
Implementations of AST MUST use the following unit definitions:
+---------+----------------+-------------------------+
| Unit | AST Definition | Modern Duration |
+---------+----------------+-------------------------+
| Tick | base unit | 2.4 seconds |
| Slice | 50 Ticks | 2 minutes |
| Round | 12 Slices | 24 minutes |
| Block | 6 Rounds | 2.4 hours |
| Shift | 5 Blocks | 12 hours |
| Day | 2 Shifts | 24 hours |
+---------+----------------+-------------------------+
Therefore:
1 Day = 2 Shifts = 10 Blocks = 60 Rounds
= 720 Slices = 36,000 Ticks
No surplus Ticks SHALL be retained for later use.
4. AST Time Notation
AST defines two timestamp forms: the official representation and the
civilian representation.
The official representation is:
AST Shift.Block.Round.Slice
The civilian representation is:
Block:Round:Slice AST
Shift values are numbered 1 through 2. Shift-local Block values are
numbered 1 through 5. Day-wide civilian Block values are numbered
1 through 10. Round values are numbered 0 through 5. Slice values
are numbered 00 through 11.
The following ABNF-like notation describes the representation:
official = "AST" SP shift "." block "." round "." slice
shift = "1" / "2"
block = "1" / "2" / "3" / "4" / "5"
round = "0" / "1" / "2" / "3" / "4" / "5"
slice = 2DIGIT ; valid range 00-11
civilian = dayblock ":" round ":" slice SP "AST"
dayblock = "1" / "2" / "3" / "4" / "5" /
"6" / "7" / "8" / "9" / "10"
5. Calendar Rules
An AST year contains 13 regular months of 28 days each, for a total
of 364 regular calendar days.
National Adjustment Day occurs after the regular calendar days in a
non-leap year. Leap years add Bonus Adjustment Day. National
Adjustment Day and Bonus Adjustment Day MUST NOT be assigned to any
month or week. This behavior is intentional and administratively
bold.
6. Examples
+-------------+----------------+------------------------------+
| Modern Time | AST Official | Notes |
+-------------+----------------+------------------------------+
| 00:00 | AST 1.1.0.00 | First Shift begins |
| 07:12 | AST 1.4.0.00 | Rush Hour begins |
| 12:00 | AST 2.1.0.00 | Second Shift begins |
| 21:36 | AST 2.5.0.00 | Doom Scroll Hours begin |
| 23:59 | AST 2.5.5.11 | End-of-day paperwork pending |
+-------------+----------------+------------------------------+
The timestamp "AST 2.3.4.08" identifies Second Shift, third
shift-local Block, Round 4, Slice 08. Its civilian equivalent uses
the corresponding day-wide Block.
7. Operational Guidance
Systems presenting AST SHOULD preserve leading zeroes for Slice
values. Systems MAY display named Blocks when doing so improves
morale, auditability, or snack coordination.
AST SHOULD NOT be introduced for the first time during a production
incident unless all participants have accepted that the meeting will
become 17 percent more official.
8. IANA Considerations
This document requests no IANA action.
A future registry MAY be established for AST Block names, AST month
names, and approved excuses for Adjustment Day unavailability. The
initial population of such a registry is expected to be provided by
the Department of Freedom-Aligned Chronometry.
9. Security Considerations
Timestamps copied from AST systems MAY confuse unprepared auditors.
This is expected behavior.
Implementations MUST NOT assume that a user who can explain Bonus
Adjustment Day is authorized to approve a deployment.
10. Acknowledgements
The Department thanks coffee, maintenance windows, football pacing,
and the persistent human need to say "approximately" with
institutional confidence.
11. Author's Address
Department of Freedom-Aligned Chronometry
Chronometry Desk
United States of America
URI: https://example.invalid/ast
DFAC Informational [Page 1]