Year 2000 bug

[Steven Weller <stevenw@IGLOU.COM>]

>Greetings:
>     A question to the group as this seems strange enough to be
>true and something that could be of interest to all.
>     Is the following a bonafide article and if so are the
>consequences as bad as so stated?
>
>
>BUG THREAT NO JOKE
>(Denver Post article reprinted from The Detroit News-Jan 1.95)
>     At midnight on the last day of 1999, the clocks on computers
>will roll over from "99" to "00."  That simple step, computer
>scientists say, will activate a significate number of the world's
>45,000 corporate mainframes.

Absolutely. I write computer programs that run in embedded systems --
computers that make machines and equipment work -- and this is a real
problem. It is often difficult to take account of the rollover in software
for a number of reasons. Sometimes it is not possible to do it perfectly
either. Many times it is implemented but not tested.


On December 31st, 1999 I will make sure:

* I am not in an airplane

* I have at least a week's cash in my pocket, a month's worth if I have it

* That I don't plan on going anywhere

* That I am reliant on technology as little as possible


During the first three months of 2000 I will:

* Check all my bills very carefully

* Check all my bank statements very carefully

* Not be in an airplane on Feb 29th.


The good news is that America is some way from the date line. All the
catashrophes will occur in a big wave as the world turns and we will
hopefully get some warning.

If the phones still work 8^).




--
Steven Weller  <Windsor Consulting Group>         +1 502 454 0054 (voice)
                                                  +1 502 451 5935 (fax)
2014 Cherokee Pkwy, Suite J, Louisville, KY 40204, USA
<OS-9 Consultancy and Software>    stevenw@iglou.com or sweller@aol.com