SPLNTR
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Yes,
The computer companies have admitted to knowing about the problem for years now, but they did nothing to fix it until recently. So another question comes to mind, how can companies like Microsoft that are on the cutting edge of innovation get caught with their pants down like this? Answer: They wanted to.
These problems should have been solved in the regular upgrades computers receive periodically. However, the way the computer industry sees it, why fix a problem for free when you can start a panic and get paid for the service?
These Y2K fix-it companies have turned into multi-million dollar companies over night as a result of the current panic. Computer manufactures knew that this would happen too-in fact, they were banking on it. The best way to keep people buying your product is to convince them that they can't live without it. And it appears for the first time ever in advertising history that might just be the case.
Most people are accepting the computer industry's shortsightedness at face value. Instead of just accepting this, small businesses on up to the federal government should be busy filing a class-action lawsuit.
The computer industry has been joined by the retail sector in confronting the Y2K bug. Mail-order catalogs have entire sections devoted to being Y2K prepared. Those supplies include generators, canned goods, bottled water, candles, batteries, extra cash, guns, etc In fact, buying a generator is nearly impossible now. They're on back order all the way into the fall.
I think it was. |
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Great Days
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Definitely NOT - there was really a deficiency in the way the date is stored inside computers.
The computers started in the 1950s. So a date like December 25, 1956 will be stored inside the computer as 12-25-56. The first two digits representing the month of December while the last two digits is the last two digits of the year. During those years, computer storage media is very expensive.
When the computer sees the 56 in the year, it understands that the year is 1956.
So unless this deficiency is corrected, the computer will interpret - January 1, 2000 as 01-01-1900 instead of 01-01-2000.
The computer manufacturers has started working on the solution of this deficiency during the mid 1980s.
Source : I was the Y2K project manager for a government bank. We spent millions to replace non-Y2K compliant equipment and to revise hundreds of computer programs.
Have a nice day ! |
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tin2
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The Y2K computer bug was real. What was unreal was the way the media overplayed the whole thing. There was panic buying, there was mass anxiety, and the scam artists did have a field day capitalizing on people's gullibity. Even Hollywood was not to be outdone. They did a movie about it..."Y2K The Movie"...released November 1999.
In some areas, the mood was like preparing for the end of the world.
Nice to know we're all still here... |
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luosechi 駱士基
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It was not a scam... Great Days has the right answer and reasons. Back in 1998 and later, I was a contractor for Taiwanese government in aviation. The software in all the ground facilities had to be reviewed that it would recognize 2000 and not think it was 1900 or 1000. Just imagine the trouble you would run into if the Y2K glitch thought it was Monday 1/1/1900 instead of Saturday. Just in aviation, you have many airlines which don't fly every day of the week. Fortunately, even my desktop lived through Y2K without any accidents ☺. |
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Leander
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It was definitely real and the threat was luckily found way before the millennium hits therefore avoiding any possible calamities it may have caused.. Billions upon billions of dollars were spent to combat the Y2K effect. The threat was real.. |
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The King of Cups
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there was a lot more worry than necessary, but it was not a scam. any program that had date-sensitive information could have a problem. |
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Purple Tactics
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No it wasn't. It was a genuine problem.
The porwers that be came up with a solution to it and ended it before disaster could even start.. |
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Aref H4
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Our programs were running on compiled DOS executables, and I assured the Management there is provision in the software to ward off any mishap.
But no, they had to be sure. We hired a company to give us 2000 compliance, and they reviewed every program running, and came up with the same answer. That my systems were ok.
Just the same, they made me stay in the office on the big night to see if everything will explode.
If there was any explosion, they sure showed a lot of affection for me! |
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J@ps
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There would have been a great disaster if certain industries whose systems rely on dates or have programs that made computations using 2 digits for the year intead of 4 digits. And if they did not make corrective actions there would have been dire consequences.
Anyway as there are suckers born every minute, there were also scammers who made money, for not everybody will be affected in the same degree. But there is so much to this issue that will take a long time to explain.
But to simplify, I was involved in an endeavor to help companies that are among those that are to be severely affected. And we helped avert or minimize their losses. So in that regard it was not just a scare & not just a scam. Many sectors of society just over-reacted but that was better than being caught unprepared. |
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Co S
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No, it wasn't a scam. What happened in Japan and in Europe was that some of their credit cards did not work in some stores as the computers would not take in their transactions when the new year came in at the expiration of the Y2K bug wherein the 1999 went back to 000 and not 2000. So it was very real indeed but people did not know what would happen. It was in the newspapers. So the companies affected had to upgrade all their computers. |
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MovieFan_24
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No. It was not a scam. I think many of the others have given sufficient information already. |
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wildyoungnfree
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The Y2K problem was something that could not be taken with a grain of salt. Though the sort of bug was the result of a practice in early computer program design that caused some date-related processing to operate incorrectly for dates and times on and after between December 31, 1999 and January 1, 2000, our company, a leading semiconductor, had spent huge amount of money to ensure that we were Y2K compliant. A team spearheaded by our MIS people and composed of representatives from every department reviewed all our production (robotic) machines, electronic equipment and other computer driven gadgets to ensure compliance. Our president even bothered to call the team in the plant on the new year's eve if there were abnormalities seen after the clock struck past midnight. And yes by the way, we found one (1) computer that was not Y2K compliant and that machine was the one of the first and oldest machines we had that were shelved for so many years. |
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sirchas2002
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no scam and it took alot of time and effort to keep it from being back to the dark ages. at the time i was working for the worlds largest internet firm, they controlled over 50% of the internet backbone and at the time had 25% of the worlds internet users. i was part of a verification team that test readiness for the turn over. It was amazing the different item we ended up checking, contacting suppliers such as water and power companies to insure they complied. He had to test our generators to insure their systems were not effected. as the company had operations in the Philippines and i had been in charge of it prior to then, our companies readiness in the Philippines became my responsibility.it was very serious issue but had to laugh at the certification of compliance issued by the Philippine National Power corp. In responce to an inquiry if the electric power would be effected in the Philippines the official reply was that Y2k would not effect power in the country as the national power grid preceded the issues.translated the equipment was so old there were no computers in the system to worry about |
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allatsea
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Some IT people made loads of money from it though, didn't they? I remember watching dawn coming up on the other side of the world on TV and being delighted that the world as we know it didn't stop! |
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Ng A
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Yes it was a serious thread that (Thank god) did not materialized. Companies, and governments sent billions to make sure it did not happen. |
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rhythm
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it never was. Just imagine how much work we did and how much investment was made for new equipments to comply with y2k. I worked with the Philippine's no. 1 bank at the time. |
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linda
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yes! I even remember going to the grocery store that night and seeing that the whole aisle of water gallons was EMPTY. |
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david b
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It was a scam.It was a war without a shot being fired.It caused the worlds governments and business's to pump many billions into the world economy(just like there was a world war). |
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jerfunk67
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Yeah. It was pretty funny actually because I knew it was bullshit the entire time. Haha... |
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