Maybe a dumb question - looking at canned food and vitamins I've been buying, many are dated post 2000. If large manufacturing companies are able to do this does that mean they are y2k compliant? Obviously this is a date function that is computer controlled, also credit cards with expiration dates past 2000. When I thought of this last nite I got a small glimmer of hope - maybe this isn't as serious as it seems, is there a ray of hope?

-- Shelle (SDohn@aol.com), October 08, 1998

Answers

Yep Your right, Every thing is going to be fine , you dont need to worry that something kooky will happen . Go back to your TV and to your mindless dribble that flows forth....

-- Ron (mongo@earthling.net), October 08, 1998.

Shelle,

You know what? That's a good question. Unfortunately, being able to stamp a projected date doesn't necessarily have any bearing on compliance. It may mean that the software they're using is compliant, or it may not. For example, I have a database that I use in an administrative function which contains opening and closing dates. The date field allows for the 4 digit century, so my DATABASE is compliant. BUT, the SOFTWARE I used to write the database is NOT compliant, so if I don't convert to a different software, I'm in trouble! I know it can be really hard to understand, (like for me to understand anything to do with chemistry!!!)

There's always hope, but please don't allow hope stop you from being as prepared as possible.

Hey, Ron, why the sarcasm? Feeling cranky, are we?

-- Arewyn (nordic@northnet.net), October 08, 1998.

The credit card problems which we've already seen are another example. Credit card companies made cards that expired in 2000 and beyond, but the systems that read the cards would not accept them. Obviously, parts of the system were compliant, and other parts weren't.

End-to-end testing is really important. Unfortunately, it's the last step of the testing process. That means total system tests are the most likely to be left undone.

Your reasoning is sound, though. Everything will not fail. Some things will work. The question is, can whole systems continue to function?

-- Mike (gartner@execpc.com), October 08, 1998.

Hey Ron,

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GET A GRIP! Shelle never said that she thought everything was going to be fine. She never said she wan't worrying about something "kooky" happening. She got some hope...she wondered if this might be a ray of such a thing, but lord forbid she not wonder. She obviouslly wondered at one point about Y2K effecting her life, so why shouldn't she wonder if some hope IS out there?

Rick

-- Rick Tansun (ricktansun@hotmail.com), October 09, 1998.