# Y2K **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 1999, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727 "1999-12-31T15:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolfduke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@wolfduke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfduke)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/21 "2000-01-01T04:29:00Z")
I read the same papers as you Cooper. I have as many facts as most so don’t make assumptions on my ignorance or otherwise. Stating that low complinace equals low technology is rudimentary at best. Italy did not participate on the scale of most western countries, in fact they only started ‘checking things out’ four months ago. What I am observing is that the trillions of global dollars absorbed by this problem has either been 98% effective (improbable) or 98% overstated (maybe) Of course, this is only y2k+1 so knock wood. And Cooper, you’re basically toeing the line on the ‘threat’ but personally I find questioning most of what I read fairly worth while. ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/22 "2000-01-01T04:56:00Z")
Right, every business in Italy started their compliance effort 4 months ago. Maybe you should start by questioning that. Every business of significant size that ran a Y2K project had to build a business case for the project just like any other project. They had to determine what leaving any given program or system uncompliant would cost them, and what it would mean to their business. In most cases, they decided that they had invested in their computer systems for a reason that was still valid, and a further investment was required in order to maintain the usefulness of the system. In many cases entire new systems were installed. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/23 "2000-01-01T05:21:00Z")
Well, Y2K just rolled through the east coast. Happy new year everyone. Back to the topic. The project I am responsible for was _not_ Y2K ready two years ago. If we had done nothing the system would have crashed when it first tried to process a Y2K date (which for us would have been back in February). It took us several months to convert the system and our database to be Y2K ready. Talking to several others on the monitoring team here with me we have had some minor problems so far today (mostly reporting issues) but I assure you that if we had done nothing we would have had major problems back in February and again today. * * * “Drink your coffee! Remember, there are people sleeping in China.” Dennis Matheson — [dennis@mountaindiver.com](mailto:dennis@mountaindiver.com) Hike, Dive, Ski, Climb — [www.mountaindiver.com](http://www.mountaindiver.com) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/24 "2000-01-01T05:51:00Z")
A lot of the crazy preparations for Y2K were simply the bureaucratic “Cover Your Ass” philosophy in action. Here in Edmonton, the city installed 4-way stop signs at EVERY intersection with a light, ‘just in case’ the lights failed. Even though the engineering department told them that there was no Y2K problem with the lights. But some city planner somewhere was living in fear that he would be held responsible if the lights failed and someone was injured. On the other hand, if he takes these precautions and nothing happens, well, he was just being thorough. I wonder how much we taxpayers paid to have crews install stop signs at a few thousand intersections, then pull them all out tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/25 "2000-01-01T05:56:00Z")
Hey, I’m here in the FUTURE (EST). No Jetson’s cars or beds or apartments. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/26 "2000-01-01T06:01:00Z")
Hey, why are they called apartments if they are all attached? “Steve Sweeney” ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/27 "2000-01-01T06:32:00Z")
Nothing happened. I’m still running Windows 95, installed in 97. ---
**Author:** ![kbutcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kbutcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbutcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/28 "2000-01-01T06:51:00Z")
## You have to remember that we cannot tell at this point how much will be affected by the Y2K problem. It will probably be three months before all of the remaining Y2K problems surface. In fact 99% of Y2K problems (non-power related) can’t happen until buisness starts up on monday. Don’t say this was a non-event yet. – Karl Butcher Y2K compliant since 1836 ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/29 "2000-01-01T07:15:00Z")
Well, we just hit our first Y2K glitches. A program that generates the dates for our analysis system has just decided that today is 01/01/2002 (don’t know where that one came from) and a monitoring system has decided that since it’s past 12/31/99 that it doesn’t have to run anymore. Looks like I’m actually going to be doing work tonight after all… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/30 "2000-01-01T08:10:00Z")
a frriend of mine works in a restaurant - today, he got a new shipment of meat marked “best before January 7, 1900.” ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/31 "2000-01-01T08:45:00Z")
Three hours and twenty-three minutes into the new Millennium, and my computer is functioning fine. For this system, that represents a major improvement. Windows 95 (from 97), with Office 97 (SR-1), and MS Explorer 5.00.2341.1003, and nothing seems much bothered. Of course, I don’t do much other than type in Word, Cut and paste into Explorer, and play a game or two. ## So, how are we coming on the Y2041 bug? Any chance that the industry will fix that one without a few extra billion in hype driven sales? I am guessing no. **\

Tris\** How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. – \*\* Abraham Lincoln\*\* ---

**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/32 "2000-01-01T12:10:00Z")
_yawn_ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/33 "2000-01-01T15:31:00Z")
I went to look at my WWWBOARD message board and its putting the date ‘100’ on the messages, also the message posted on date says ‘19100’ In other words, either way back or way in the future. My Discus message board is doing alright. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2000, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/34 "2000-01-02T06:35:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Here in Edmonton, the city installed 4-way stop signs at EVERY intersection with a light, ‘just in case’ the lights failed… > …I wonder how much we taxpayers paid to have crews install stop signs at a few thousand intersections, then pull them all out tomorrow? Maybe it’s time Edmonton learned about those fold up stop signs they leave on the poles in case the power goes out? * * * “I guess one person can make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.” ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/35 "2000-01-01T19:40:00Z")
I’m running Win98 and just from what little I’ve done so far, it looks fine. Though I’ve got to say it’s REALLY weird looking at email and SDMB posts dated 2000. * * * “I’m just too much for human existence – I should be animated.” –Wayne Knight ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/36 "2000-01-01T20:30:00Z")
Before anything special can happen, the programs must try to access the year in double digit 00’s. That should happen eventually. Ms Office 95 update is 5.5 megs but O97 looked to be about 22megs. Anyway, BB stores have a free microsoft update Y2k cdrom if you want it. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/37 "2000-01-01T21:21:00Z")
For your reading enjoyment: [http://www.msnbc.com/comics/editorial\_content.asp?sType=12&sImage=tt991220&nDate=12&nDelta=1](http://www.msnbc.com/comics/editorial_content.asp?sType=12&sImage=tt991220&nDate=12&nDelta=1) * * * Sue from El Paso Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/38 "2000-01-02T15:51:00Z")
you know who may have a Y2K problem? our very own SDMB. I did an upgrade on my mail program on the 31st, and somehow in the process I lost my password to post here. So, I clicked the “Forget your password” line. I waited, and waited, and waited - no e-mail from the Webmaster. Finally, I found my password in my e-mail archives, and forgot about my request. This morning, I noticed I had an unopened e-mail somewhere in my inbox. Found it right at the bottom - from the SDMB Webmaster, dated February 19, 1939. When I replied to the Webmaster to point this out, the date came up as January 1, 100. I’m guessing there will be a lot of little glitches like this turning up over the next few weeks, as businesses and governments get back to work and fire up on the “non-critical mission systems,” or whatever the jargon is. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727/39 "2000-01-02T16:19:00Z")
Yeah, its not remembering my PW at all anymore, I have to input it daily!!! This with netscape 4.7 too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2k/5727.md?page=1)