Abstract
Adds expository text in addition to the Dublin Core terms. The aim is to capture the meaning of the date elements that are *currently* specified, in order to provide a coherent base to work from.
Status
Open.
Rationale
Clarify the defintition of the different date elements in Atom.
Proposal
Replace section 3.3, 4.13.6, 4.13.7 and 4.13.8 with the following:
3.3 Date Constructs
4.13.6 "atom:modified" Element
Publishing systems should change 'modified' whenever the entry changes. User-agents should monitor 'modified' and use it as an indication to check the entry to see if it should be redisplayed to the user. The significance of a change in modified date is undefined.
4.13.7 "atom:issued" Element
The significance of a change in issue date is undefined.
4.13.8 "atom:created" Element
atom:created is informational. Publishing systems may use it to store the internal creation date of the entry and user-agents may display it. A 'created' date may change (eg. the resource is deleted and replaced), and the significance of a change in the created date is undefined.
Impacts
May have some impact on how dates are interpreted in different tools.
Notes
See also: PaceTheOneTrueExplanationOfDateElements