prometheus / prometheus/OpenMetrics

OM 2.0: mention whether the unit for timestamps is `seconds` or `timestamp_seconds`

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Description

Problem Statement

See also: https://discuss.prometheus.io/t/is-timestamp-seconds-or-seconds-the-base-unit/3570
From what I can tell OM1.0 would rather say the unit is seconds while https://prometheus.io/docs/practices/naming/ seems to imply it's timestamp_seconds.
I'd tend to the latter, because seconds are a duration, while a timestamp needs to reference point (like the epoch).

Proposed solution

I think it would be nice if the experts could consider whether this should be somehow clarified for OM2.0

Cheers,
Chris.

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by comparing the OM1.0 wording with the Prometheus naming guidance and the linked discussion. Determine the agreed unit terminology for OM2.0; the work is done when the specification explicitly distinguishes timestamp units from duration units.

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Assessment

Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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