Interesting article from Federal Computer Week:

Who to blame for the Y2K problem?

Author (lawyer in DeeCee) concludes that Secretary of Commerce is clearly responsible for Federal standard for date formatting. Commerce Secretary? As in Ron Brown? Hmmm...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), January 11, 1999

Answers

Mac,

Guess we both thought about visiting "The Federal Computer Weekly" today! I felt nudged by Gayla and Sean to gov. site surf more.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 11, 1999.

I thought that DoD procurement signed-off on two digit dates back in the 1960's. You think some little back-office Commerce guy is gonna tangle with the Generals?

Hallyx

"If stupid hurt, the whole planet would be a world of pain." --- Denis Boyles

-- Hallyx (Hallyx@aol.com), January 11, 1999.

there was a thread that said it was the pentagon that picked 2 digits instad of ascii/ ansi back in the 70's , about a month ago on this site...

-- plain ol` joe (joe@ezweb.com), January 11, 1999.

The Vanity Fair article covers the origin of two vs. four digits very thoroughly.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 12, 1999.

Mac,

>As in Ron Brown? Hmmm...

Reagan's Secretary of Commerce was Ron Brown? Bush's? Why don't you ask about them instead of a Clinton administration's Secretary of Commerce?

From the article you cite: "Since 1987 [my emphasis - NSP], one specific government office has been charged with the explicit statutory responsibility for promulgating such standards. According to Section 4 of the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Public Law No. 100-235, 101 Stat. 1724, 1728), ..."

Clinton didn't take office and appoint Ron Brown until 1992.

Reagan's Secretary of Commerce was in office at the time that 1987 act was passed. Why didn't he or she (I don't remember who it was) make four-digit years mandatory then, when there was over a decade left before 2000? Maybe a little lack of forward vision?

Remember, just after the Clinton administration started, the news reports about how the new folks were amazed that the White House had such obsolete telephone and information systems? _They_ brought modern computer technology in to the White House. Why didn't Reagan or Bush?

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), January 12, 1999.