What is Y2K

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What is Y2K

-- Anonymous, April 13, 1999

Answers

That would depend on what your definition of "is" is.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 1999

I would like to take this opportunity to attempt to give a definition:
Y2K is the term given for the cumulative set of problems and effects of computer malfunctions caused by improper handling of dates when the century changes from 1999 to 2000. This is most commonly caused by the use of two digit years in computer calculations.


-- Anonymous, April 14, 1999

Y2K is a Three Letter Acronym (TLA) for "Year 2000" which refers to the "Year 2000 computer problem". The 'Y' stands for 'Year' the '2' for the '2' in 2000 and 'K' is for Kilo or one thousand, hence 'Y2K' -- Year 2000.

It's ironic that the propeller heads shortened "Year 2000 problem" to "Y2K". Wasn't it this kind of thinking that got us into this mess in the first place?

:-)

--aj

-- Anonymous, April 14, 1999


My apologies if this has been discussed here before, but my textbooks show "k" = 1000 not "K".

-- Anonymous, April 14, 1999

Shortening something is not wrong. But we all know that inappropriate use of a tool is. I have known and been warned about using two digit years for 10 years. This is not programmers fault no matter how many times this is repeated in the news. Programmers work for others. They are almost never in charge, and quite often abused.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 1999


"What Is Y2K"

The most mind-numbingly boring endlessly still-in-the-future potential diaster ever......

-- Anonymous, April 16, 1999


Dustin, What is Y2K? Perhaps you ask in jest, or have only recently arrived to this planet, or are just a young lad who is smart enough to stay out of this mess. But I do believe that your question is an excellent one, and worth of an answer.

Y2K is a very widespread computing problem, and many, many people are working on it. Even more are concerned about it, and involved in the perephery. Y2K is more than a computing problem, since the reaction to it is so strong, with so many involved. For every person racing to fix major y2k bugs, minor y2k bugs, and the like, there are a hundred or a thousand others watching,learning, trying to separte the facts from the fiction. Y2K is fraught with worriers, doomsayers, predictors, and most of all, being America (where in God we trust lives happily with show be the money) there are the everpresent Opportunists. Freeze dried or long storage foods - need a years worth. Generators, get 'em before they're gone. Fuel, like gotta have it, lots of it. Guns, ammo, get ready for the starving masses. Survival of the smartest, the best prepared. Save yourselves, save your neighbors, spread the word. Y2K's a comin', sweet Jesus, Y2K's a comin,...Warn the world, oh Christian, like you did at the last millenium....don't bother to read the part in the bible about spreading rumors ...

P.T. Barnham was only part right, "a sucker in every crowd" was too weak, and every crowds a sucker is more like it. Lemmings, the whole lot of us.

But that's a lot of words, and there is a simple answer. What is Y2K? Y2K is the biggest social event in the history of mankind.

Yes Dustin, there is a Y2K, and it's real. In pale comparison to the social event of Y2K, the're is a manageable, widespread, computing problem. Soon, we will arrive at the year 2000, and the sun our God created will shine and somewhere, someone, will for a moment remember that we shoulda had faith. But even so, mankind will not learn, we have never learned, and we will go on to other follies that sadden the Heavens.

Regards,

-- Anonymous, April 16, 1999


factfinder,

are we to believe that you are in possession of a large, pulsating crystal ball that is linked directly to the great akashic records in the ethers?

as someone on yourdon's forum so aptly noted:

preparations should be made based on the *stakes*...not the odds.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 1999


I have no crystal ball, Marianne, just a lot of Y2K test results, feedback from other power plants, and electric utility industry data from EPRI.

Regards,

-- Anonymous, April 17, 1999


David, you are quite right. It should correctly be shown as Y2k. This is now beginning to appear in postings that attempt to be accurate about the k representation.

Marianne, Are you an Edgar Cayce fan? Also, that reference to *stakes* was posted by Flint on the Yourdon site. He coined a good one.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 1999



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