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Y2K and Ur PC
``Dates on the Year 2000 calendar are closer than they appear," John Munyan said. Perhaps you have read or even written some articles about what your own organization is doing to prepare, but have you given thought to the impact it is likely to have on each of us--not just banks, the government and our employers? Computers traditionally use a 2digit code to indicate the year (for example, 98 for 1998). These programs are the ones likely to fail when the century turns, because they will show 00, fooling the program into thinking it is a date which predates many files and functions in the system. This means that datebased calculations may become inaccurate. More than just dates are affected. Dates, Distance, Dollars and Databases
Market research by the Gartner Group, Inc. indicates that corporations will spend from $300 to $600 billion worldwide on software renovation to resolve the milennium bug, but it probably isn't enough, and it probably won't happen in time. While most businesses are taking steps to resolve the problem, not all vendors, suppliers or customers may be ready, causing a domino effect that could halt even the operations of prepared companies. Here are some ways the Y2K bug might affect you personally in a WORST case scenario:
- Credit cards with expiration dates of /00 or higher may be refused when you go to pay for a business dinner
- Grocery store cash registers may not be able to process ATM charges for cards that expire after /00
- Your personal computer might not boot up
- Your alarm clock might not ring
- Train schedules could be disrupted
- Airlines might not be flying on schedule and some airports could be shut down
- Package delivery services could grind to a halt
- Printers might not deliver jobs on time
- Traffic lights could all begin flashing at once
- Social Security checks might not be processed and mailed out
- Universities could lose records of your ever having attended classes there
- Elevator systems running on embedded electronic chips could fail
- Billing databases may be inaccessible
- Computer systems security could be compromised
The reality is that bank cards and transportation systems are likely to function fine and your company's computer network will be probably be protected, because the government and major corporations have been working for several years to be ready when the milennium turns. Where you are most likely to find problems is with personal computers, equipment that runs on embedded chips, and with smaller suppliers/vendors who serve your organization. Chances are any new computer or equipment you buy from 1998 on will already be programmed to handle the date change.
Are YOU Ready?
You can test your personal computer to see if it is Y2K compliant now:
1. Set the date on your personal computer to December 31, 1999.
2. Set the time to 23:58hrs (11:58pm) and then turn OFF the computer.
3. Wait three minutes or more and then turn the PC back on.
4. Check the date and time. It SHOULD show a minute or two past midnight, on Saturday, January 1st 2000.
If it doesn't, it may be time to start saving for a new one!
Copyright 1998 by Kaye Vivian (kvivian@cloud9.net). All rights reserved.
Permission to reprint is greanted as long as this copyright notice remains in tact and the article is not changed.
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