Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Assuming the world is still around then, I wonder if a similar things will be for 1/1/2100!
No. The problem was back when most of the code was written, dates were stored in just a two digit field because storage was expensive. Now that its cheap, dates are now stored as four digit fields. This won't happen again. Most of the old code should have been obsolete long before Y2K, but it worked, so companies had no reason to replace it.
I was 11 when Y2k happened. I remember my 6th grade teacher being a prepper and had us read about every article that came out. Some even had comic strips depicting what would "happen." I still remember the comic strip one about the person buying an apple (because everyone goes to the grocery to buy ONE apple ), and the when the cashier rang it up, the total was $100. We all laughed because the artist who drew the strip drew it out as if the clerk couldn't manually enter the correct price because of Y2k preventing him from doing so, and the lady was freaking out because she had exact change.
My family and I knew nothing wasn't going to happen. I had an Uncle who was in IT telling us about this "magical software" they were instructed to install on all the computers at the bank; younger guys had to work overnight on NYE. My Uncle knew it was bogus too. I remember my Dad staring out the window right before the ball dropped. At 12:02 he turned and looked to the rest of the family and said, "Well, nothing happened, just like I said. Happy New Year and good night."
I am actually in IT myself, and at my previous job, one of the business partners for the company I worked for told us how he had a CD of "anti-Y2K software" that he installed on all of his client's computers at the time. He knew it was bogus too and that nothing would happen, but his clients demanded that he did something to prevent what would "happen." He laughed and said all he did was install a copy of McAfee, or reinstalled it if they already had it.
I was 11 when Y2k happened. I remember my 6th grade teacher being a prepper and had us read about every article that came out. Some even had comic strips depicting what would "happen." I still remember the comic strip one about the person buying an apple (because everyone goes to the grocery to buy ONE apple ), and the when the cashier rang it up, the total was $100. We all laughed because the artist who drew the strip drew it out as if the clerk couldn't manually enter the correct price because of Y2k preventing him from doing so, and the lady was freaking out because she had exact change.
My family and I knew nothing wasn't going to happen. I had an Uncle who was in IT telling us about this "magical software" they were instructed to install on all the computers at the bank; younger guys had to work overnight on NYE. My Uncle knew it was bogus too. I remember my Dad staring out the window right before the ball dropped. At 12:02 he turned and looked to the rest of the family and said, "Well, nothing happened, just like I said. Happy New Year and good night."
I am actually in IT myself, and at my previous job, one of the business partners for the company I worked for told us how he had a CD of "anti-Y2K software" that he installed on all of his client's computers at the time. He knew it was bogus too and that nothing would happen, but his clients demanded that he did something to prevent what would "happen." He laughed and said all he did was install a copy of McAfee, or reinstalled it if they already had it.
How exactly did your family and you know "nothing wasn't going to happen." What exactly does "nothing wasn't going to happen mean?"
I don't know what kind of IT you work but I was a hospital CIO at the time. At a minimum, without the software patches we made, our third party billing systems for insurance reimbursement would not have worked. This would've created major cash flow issues and meant the hospital would've been using reserves to make payroll and pay vendors. We would've lost major investment income. This did happen to a hospital in New York and it caused a lowering of their credit rating and financial losses. Of course any organization that had problems did not want any publicity about how they did not prepare.
How exactly did your family and you know "nothing wasn't going to happen." What exactly does "nothing wasn't going to happen mean?"
I don't know what kind of IT you work but I was a hospital CIO at the time. At a minimum, without the software patches we made, our third party billing systems for insurance reimbursement would not have worked. This would've created major cash flow issues and meant the hospital would've been using reserves to make payroll and pay vendors. We would've lost major investment income. This did happen to a hospital in New York and it caused a lowering of their credit rating and financial losses. Of course any organization that had problems did not want any publicity about how they did not prepare.
You missed the point. The point was the excessive doom and gloom predictions that led to some people stockpiling supplies and hanging out in their basement convinced the modern world as we know it was going to end. Their beliefs were on par with a world wide EMP wiping out all electronic devices and electrical systems. Reasonable precautions helped to prevent even a fraction of their fears. I was working in a hospital boiler room during Y2K. We contacted our energy management company about the potential issues and made back ups of the software. We also had manual control options just in case. What we didn’t do was go all doomsday prepped mode. We didn’t buy into the nightly news stories with possibilities that looked like an all out nuclear war.
I was working at a TV station then, and the level of paranoia was so high that managers wouldn't allow anyone to take vacations for the entire month of December. That made no sense to me at all.
You missed the point. The point was the excessive doom and gloom predictions that led to some people stockpiling supplies and hanging out in their basement convinced the modern world as we know it was going to end. Their beliefs were on par with a world wide EMP wiping out all electronic devices and electrical systems. Reasonable precautions helped to prevent even a fraction of their fears. I was working in a hospital boiler room during Y2K. We contacted our energy management company about the potential issues and made back ups of the software. We also had manual control options just in case. What we didn’t do was go all doomsday prepped mode. We didn’t buy into the nightly news stories with possibilities that looked like an all out nuclear war.
The media is a powerful influencer to the masses.
What they did with y2k they do with weather events...media induced frenzy and fear.
And the masses lap it up.
What they did with y2k they do with weather events...media induced frenzy and fear.
And the masses lap it up.
Anyone who thinks the IT field went to Defcon-1 in 1999 over Y2K because CNN was flogging the story simply has no idea what they're talking about. You've got it totally backwards. The field was totally wrong, but it was the field where the idea originated and its alleged seriousness was promulgated.
How exactly did your family and you know "nothing wasn't going to happen." What exactly does "nothing wasn't going to happen mean?"
I don't know what kind of IT you work but I was a hospital CIO at the time. At a minimum, without the software patches we made, our third party billing systems for insurance reimbursement would not have worked. This would've created major cash flow issues and meant the hospital would've been using reserves to make payroll and pay vendors. We would've lost major investment income. This did happen to a hospital in New York and it caused a lowering of their credit rating and financial losses. Of course any organization that had problems did not want any publicity about how they did not prepare.
LOL that really needs explaining? OK, fine. What I meant by that was, we knew planes weren't going to suddenly fall out of the sky, my Dad's coffee machine wouldn't stop brewing a pot of coffee because we were now in the year 2000, our cars weren't going to suddenly have a mind of its own and drive us off a cliff, and the cash registers at the grocery store would ring our transaction up just fine.
As for my career, I am a desktop engineer/systems analyst for an Insurance company, and am currently taking continuing Ed courses for Networking and Cyber Secuirty, paid through the company. Yes, I am aware that some systems needed to be patched, and most issues stemmed from data and software not being configured to roll over to the new year because of how the programmers designed them, among other things.
You missed the point. The point was the excessive doom and gloom predictions that led to some people stockpiling supplies and hanging out in their basement convinced the modern world as we know it was going to end. Their beliefs were on par with a world wide EMP wiping out all electronic devices and electrical systems. Reasonable precautions helped to prevent even a fraction of their fears. I was working in a hospital boiler room during Y2K. We contacted our energy management company about the potential issues and made back ups of the software. We also had manual control options just in case. What we didn’t do was go all doomsday prepped mode. We didn’t buy into the nightly news stories with possibilities that looked like an all out nuclear war.
Thank you! I honesty didn't think I needed to continue breaking it down; figured it was pretty straight forward.
Thank you! I honesty didn't think I needed to continue breaking it down; figured it was pretty straight forward.
As straight forward as "nothing wasn't going to happen."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
), and the when the cashier rang it up, the total was $100. We all laughed because the artist who drew the strip drew it out as if the clerk couldn't manually enter the correct price because of Y2k preventing him from doing so, and the lady was freaking out because she had exact change.
