Year 2000 is a serious problem and we need to prepare for it. I will clear up and get the facts strait with the year 2000, computer disaster. Dooms day? Many think it is likely. Others think the year 2000 is just like any other year. We all must prepare for the Millenium or disaster will strike. We will encounter problems including but not ending with economical, electrical, legal, and computer failure. Millenium bug, Y2K, computer failure, total disaster, these headlines will look more and more familure as the year 2000 nears.
All these names above refer to the same problem. “The problem is old code in an awful lot of computer rograms can not tell the difference between the year 2000 and the year 1900. ” (Shakespeare, N. 1999) Systems may crash, services can be stopped, communications could shut down, and electrical power can be lost. When computers were first in the development stage, almost no resources for design were available. Since the technology was just evolving from computer systems fillings 1, 2, or even 3 large rooms, into a little desktop PC shortcuts were definatly taken.
The technology was so new and couldn’t compare to the stats of PC’s now its hard to understand and believe the huge difference in speed, storage, emory, and sizee. The Y2K bug was born in the early 1950’s only to save two bits of memory. Today computers have millions of bits of memory. When PC or personal computers came into production two bits of memory were a big deal in space and technology. Although this was done back in the 1950′ the habit was carried on up until 1995.
The two bits were saved in this chip located on teh mother board called the Bios Chip or Cmos chip. These chip are the very bone basis for the computer and its ability to run. This code “19” was embedded into the chip to save two bits. To change the architecture of the chip and estimations of 50 ngineers working for about six months would be sufficiant. Computer manufactures discovered this problem in 1975 but to redevelop the industry it would cost about two billion dollars. Two billion dollars is a lot of money especially in 1975.
Computer manufactures did not want to spend this ammount of money so they planned to procrastinate the problem for others to deal with. The potential disaster is a world wide issue. A former threat to the United States millitary forces, Russia, had just recently asked if the United States would help their country prepare for the year 2000 problems. Almost all companies big nd small all over the world have to deal with this problem. Anyone from a home personal computer user to a multimillion dollar corporation will encounter the bug. If not taken serious the bite will definatly be deep.
Banks, credit card companies, Federal Agencies, internet service providers, cable companies, software developers, electrical power plants, factories, computer aided shipents, hospitals, prisions, courts, inventory systems, and others that use computers and dates will encounter the bug if not properly prepared. Many disaster can result from the Year 2000 Bug. For instance almost verything that is bought today is or has been traveled through the use of the trucking industry. For speedy and accurate service these trucking companies use computers to track scheudles and shipment orders.
If there computers and there software is not year 2000 compliant then the industry can very likely be interupted and or shutdown. Anouther example would be if buy groceries or pay bills over the internet. If your computer and computer software is not year 2000 compliant then you will not be recieving groceries, but rather recieving service penalties for not paying your bills on time. Anouther example would be if you think your omputer is year 2000 compliant or you are just not worried about the problem, then January 1, 2000 comes and you can not use your computer because of failure. Now you have to call a computer service man.
Lets say thousands of others did the exact same thing. Now you must wait for a scheudled time on a waiting list and most likely be charged high rates. Anouther example would be if you have a car and you pay the bank a certain percentage upon the value of the car monthly. When the year 2000 comes, you will not be able to pay the correct amount of money if the percentage is based on car value in 1900 instead of 2000. The computer bug has even cause problems already as recently a computer programm determined that a prisioners release date, 1/10/15, had passed, and he was almost released after serving only a few days.
The program assumed the date in question was 1915, not 2015, because the centuary had not been stored. ” (Shakespeare, N. 1999) The United States has current plans that include conversions for most government services. President Bill Clinton has already made clear that the United States Treasury is year 2000 compliant and will be able to fully print United States Social Security checks with no problem. The United States has budgeted 30 Billion dollars for conversions. ” (Shakespeare, N. 1999) Russia, former United States millitary threat, has recently asked the United States for help with there problem and the year 2000.
Many companies have finished or are on scheudle for year 2000 conversions. “Companies big and small including the beginer, advanced, and expert computer users can expect to spend from $0 – millions of dollars for plans, conversions, tests, staff, and service/technical time. ” (Inc. Staff, 1998) “Five hundred companies have earmarked between $20 million and $200 million for each company’s year 2000 conversion. (Shakespeare, N. 1999) Equally when it comes down to the final mark your are basically responsible for your own computer use.
Year 2000 is not just to deal with the millenium bug. We also have to deal with other problems. One problem would be those people who just believe the world is ending and cause choas. This could stare ideas into peoples heads causing riots and rebellions. Other problems would be joint grave stones. A grave stone that has a spouses death date carved and your death date carved as “19–“, well if you live past the millenium your grave stone will have to be re surfaced and ecarved so your death date can read “20–“.
Economy problems as well starting with the prices of computers and computer service. Computer prices with old technology is likely to plumit. You can expect to see price increase with new technology which is in demand Prepare to get bitten by the millenium bug. If your not fully prepared it will bite hard. There is almost no way to escape the millenium bug so plan, test, convert, and retest. This is a very serious problem and if anyone takes it lightly it surely will effect us all. Take part in the battle. Act now or be bitten.
