Originally published 8 March 1999
Dear Mr. Computer,
All we hear about these days is the Y2K bug, and how it’s going to cause havoc at the end of this year. What is the bug, and how can I avoid it?
Robert R., Weston
Robert,
Back in the early days of computers — the 60s and 70s — when computer memory was at a premium, programmers decided to save space by referring to a year by the last two digits only. The software then interpreted the two digits as the appropriate year by adding “19 – ”. So “88,” for example, meant “1988.” A lot of the old software is still with us, buried in newer programs, which means that when the clock ticks over at the end of this year, some computers will interpret “00” as “1900” rather than “2000” — with unforeseen consequences.
Say you take a book out of your local library that is due on January 2, 2000, and you return it on the due date. The library’s computer interprets the date as January 2, 1900 and the librarian asks you for an overdue fine of 100 years.
You can avoid the bug by returning your books early, going to bed on New Year’s Eve, pulling the blanket over your head, and staying there until — say — March.
Dear Mr. Computer,
I have an Apple Macintosh computer. Do I need to worry about the Y2K problem?
Dan T., Sudbury
Dan,
Your Mac will interpret dates correctly until the year 29,940 A.D. That sounds safe, but remember those programmers back in the 60s thought the year 2000 was too far in the future to worry about. Nothing is more likely to endure through millennia than the loyalty of Mac owners to their Macs.
Dear Mr. Computer,
How reliable are predictions that the Y2K bug will cause international chaos, economic collapse, and technological Armageddon?
Deborah U., Stoughton
Deborah,
Keep one fact firmly in mind. The most dire predictions of Y2K chaos come from the folks who are making millions fixing the bug.
Dear Mr. Computer,
I’ve heard that on December 31 at midnight the electrical grid will collapse, banks will fail, food distribution will cease, planes will fall out of the air, businesses will close. I’m thinking about moving to a well-stocked, well-armed bunker in Idaho to ride out the crisis. Do you have suggestions for who can help me?
Jerry P., Crickville, N.H.
Jerry,
You’ll find lots of advice at survivalist and citizen militia sites on the Internet. I would suggest staying inside your bunker with your well-armed friends until at least the year 2020. That will give time for things to settle down (and make the world a little friendlier for the rest of us).
Dear Mr. Computer,
The Y2K crisis was foretold in Revelations: “Alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour she is made desolate.” The hour is at hand. Prepare for fire and brimstone.
Jasper T., Brockton
Jasper,
Thanks for the warning. I intend to have a great time on New Year’s Eve, and the Y2K bug will add a bit of zest to the occasion. I do promise, however, that I won’t be flying in an airplane when the clock strikes twelve.
Dear Mr. Computer,
I’m a lawyer. Any chance that the Y2K problem will impact my practice?
Harold W., Boston
Harold,
Wake up and smell the coffee. Lawyers are keening their knives for Y2K and U.S. businesses are furiously seeking legislation to limit Y2K-related lawsuits. Even minor computer glitches are sure to cause a torrent of litigation. The millennium computer bug is: 1. A serious though not catastrophic technological problem. 2. A media event. 3. A bonanza for computer consultants, gun manufacturers, apocalyptic evangelists, and lawyers.
Dear Mr. Computer,
Is the Big Ball in Times Square Y2K compliant?
Molly K., Arlington
Molly,
Gather your paper hats and noisemakers. The Big Ball will fall.
