Sorry if this was posted before.

Internet Explorer Y2K Glitch Emerges By Nate Mook, eFront January 1st, 2000, 10:43 PM

Internet Explorer users worldwide may come across the year 3900 as they browse the Web today. This is due to a flaw in the way IE renders JavaScript.

The getYear() query normally returns a two-digit year, however upon reaching the year 2000, Internet Explorer is returning four digits. Microsoft has claimed this to be a problem in the implementation of JavaScript itself, independent of IE. However, BetaNews tested the same code under recent Netscape, Opera, and Mozilla browsers without an erred result.

Microsoft suggests the use of getFullYear() instead, which will turn all dates into four digits. Although, this requires changes in the physical code, placing blame on the HTML programmer rather than Internet Explorer.

The main issue is that many Web sites compute the date by adding 1900 to the current year in the two-digit format, resulting in a four-digit display. Upon reaching 2000 however, getYear() returns 2000 instead of 100, making the current year 3900. While this may not be a problem for smaller Web sites, it will take time and money for large corporations to update thousands of pages with new code.

Microsoft has not yet said whether they will patch the bug, although with over 75% marketshare according to StatMarket.com, much of the Internet community is potentially affected. Network Associates, makers of the popular McAfee anti-virus suite, experienced the problem earlier this morning with virus patterns reporting being last updated on January 1, 3900.

-- shockwave (vission441@aol.com), January 01, 2000

Answers

Observation--My operating system is Windows 95. In this forum, when I right click on a post that I've already read and closed, the following information is listed under "General Properties": "Created Saturday, January 01, 2000, Modified Saturday, January 01, 2000, Updated Monday, January 01, 1601." Kind of a curious date (that last one). Has anyone else seen it?

-- Mary (bittwork@aol.com), January 01, 2000.

Glad I stopped using IE years ago. ;)

-- Satanta (EventHoriz@n.com), January 01, 2000.

Mary -

Was any mention made thereon of HRH Elizabeth's illness? If not, 'twere passing strange, for news of such weight and moment should most certainly be bannered 'pon such a site. I do fear that Essex hath plotted 'gainst her, but times and words are perilous in certain quarters... ;-}

-- DeeEmBee (macbeth1@pacbell.net), January 02, 2000.

Microsoft Sucks. Netscape has problems, but not near as many as Mircorsucks.

I had downloaded various Microsucks and Patches, including Y2K "fix" for Win 95. But delayed until Dec 30 to do them all (wanted to postpone the misery.)

So naturally, they work sort of, but only with the help of Nuts and Bolts, several rebootings. And now, the auto shutoff when I close down no longer works. I can live with that (pushing the on-off switch is called a "workaround"), but why the necessity. I hope Microsucks falls to what Infomagic calls "Charlotte's Web."

-- A (A@AisA.com), January 02, 2000.

Well, one thing hasn't changed... Microsoft products with a glitch... life goes on....

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 02, 2000.