As we enter 1999, we are slowly inching toward the dreaded “Year 000″ problem or “millennium bug” that is predicted to wreak havoc on everything from mainframe computers to traffic lights to your home computer.
The genesis of the Year 000 problem can be traced back to the time when computers could store very little information. To economize on space, programmers skimped on date data. So, for example, the date was input as 8/08/99 as opposed to 8/08/1999. Because computers don’t have the artificial intelligence to automatically substitute 0 for 19 when the century changes, they are expected to go haywire as we welcome in 2000. For more information on how this happened and all of its ramifications,.
Sun Micro systems hosts a site concerning the YK issue. The site is somewhat skewed toward Sun’s primary customers — those responsible for enterprise networks — but there still is plenty of good general information there.
To stay abreast of the latest YK news, check out CMP net’s massive Countdown to the Year 000 page, which contains up-to-the second information. Make sure to check out the YK humor page for some nerdy comic relief.
Separate the hype from reality with CNET’s Eight Myths About the Millennium Bug, which should assuage any fears you have that your coffeemaker or VCR will go haywire at the stroke of midnight 000. I’ve linked to this article before because I believe it contains valuable information. But, there are some who disagree. I have received angry e-mails from those who feel that the millennium bug isn’t a laughing matter (and from plenty of computer consultants who make their livelihood by preying on the fears of the public). None of us really know what is going to happen when the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, so this is just a reminder to take all YK problem information with a grain of salt.
Want to find out if your computer will fall prey to the millennium bug? Use the simple test at the bottom of Robert Hilliard’s Year 000 BIOS Page to find out. The site also has useful tips on how to fix the bug and links to other useful websites.
Information Week‘s Year 000 Resource Center has news and features that can help you prepare for 000. Handy Web links point you to other places on the Internet where you can get information about specific products and test your computer to see how it will hold up when the millennium hits.
This is one time when Macintosh users can mock their PC-owning friends. (OK, so this isn’t the only time.) According to Apple, the Macintosh was built to handle the millennium bug. In fact, Mac users shouldn’t have to worry about this problem until 040, the company says.
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