Re: Year 2000 Bug -Reply

Donald Talleur (dtalleur_at_uiuc.edu)
Fri, 27 Feb 1998 17:09:25 -0600

Howdy,
I solved this mysterious problem easily. The problem is "what will
the year 2000 do to my programs?". So, I changed the date to 2000 and
tested all of my software. The average user should be able to do this
without creating problems for when they change the date back to current. I
wouldn't recommend doing this unless you know what you're doing with your
computer!!! The below response is a good one, The people who have the most
to lose are the ones that control the global economy. If you think they
don't realize this, I think you're wrong. It has the capacity to destroy
lots if people don't check their systems before the bell tolls. This is not
a crisis on any other sense than it going to cost some short sighted
programmers big bucks to rewrite their code to handle the change. (or
upgrade to commercially available software or systems). I can't imagine the
final cost of this problem!

One last correction to the below: If the U.S. people rush to the
banks and pull all of their finances (which is impossible because at some
point the vast majority will find their money actually doesn't exist in a
tangible form) the ENTIRE world economy will probably fall, not just the U.S.

Cheers! and fix your machines (if you need to) early!

Don

At 04:24 PM 2/27/98 -0600, you wrote:
>
>Pete
>I think your advice to Bob was on the one.
>You could not have express the issue more definitively.
>The laxidasical attitude of this person represent the biggest fear we will
>all face when the calendar rolls over to the year 2000.
>PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT GETTING IT.
>This single issue alone has the capacity to destroy the world economy
>and send everyone into chaos.
>Consider this, as the time approaches most people and companies are
>taking this issue lightly, but at the last minuet they will realize the
>magnitude of the problem and began scrambling to over come its affect.
>That will not be possible.
>As it stands now we are virtually out of time to respond to the potential
>crisis. Let alone be able to respond in the last minuets.
>My personal opinion is, to ensure that I have hard copy record of all
>pertinent information about me and my household. That will include
>removing all finances from banking institution. But just imagine everyone
>at the last minuet recognizing the potential disaster and moving to
>accomplish the same objectives that I mention earlier. The rush to the
>banks alone will be enough to bring down the U.S. economy. And I would
>speculate that that same reaction will occur around the world. Resulting
>in a world economic crisis.
>So how serious is the year 2000 or the Millennium bug?
>Finally consider this:
>No one is really certain about the effects this will have on a program,
>especially when your consider that programs often times talk to other
>programs. The way in which one program utilizes date time stamps
>generally differ between applications. And in almost all cases they
>depend upon the CMOS in the computer to provide that information. Some
>programs use only a 2 digit for the year indicator, other programs use 4
>digits. How will you be able to determine which application will talk to 2 or
>4 digit bearing program? How will the program respond?
>Automation of application alone has become literally untraceable.
>
>These are the things that I am seeing as I continue to research this issue.
>See ya when ya get here to dal
>
>chau
>
>

Donald Anders Talleur
Assistant Aviation Education Specialist/
Assistant Chief Flight Instructor
Aviation Reserach Laboratory/ Pilot Training
Institute of Aviation
Willard Airport
217-244-8687 or 217-244-8606