The implications of Y2K
Most Y2K problems will not be catastrophic, but ongoing and not always obvious. They will never completely go away, because they relate to how 2 digit years are translated into an actual four digit year. Computers are not the only users of two digit years. We humans donıt like to write or type anymore than we have to, so we shorten our years to two as well. The computer program must make an ³educated² guess as to whether we mean the 20th Century or the 21st. What that guess is, is often determined by what the computer program thinks the current date is. So not only do you need to know when a particular program version chooses 1900 or 2000 but also that your computerıs clock date is set correctly.
The year 2000 is also a special case leap year. It occurs every 400 years and is not part of the simple method of determining leap years. Some programs may not properly calculate date ranges that include February 29, 2000 or display the correct date after February 28, 2000.
What you can do?
On your personal computer
Check the accuracy of the dates you enter into your own documents. The safest course is to always use 4 character dates (2000 instead of 00). You can set your computer operating systemıs date control panel and any program preferences to display the century in all dates. This will allow you to observe that the dates you enter are correct.
If you decide to enter two character dates, test to be sure the computer program is entering 00 as 2000 instead of 1900. Otherwise the dates you enter or import may not be accurate.
Be aware that some older programıs dates, or any exported data, may have been stored in a two character format and may not be properly interpreted when your computerıs clock has rolled over to the year 2000. It is a good idea to keep multiple off-computer backups of all date sensitive data before your computer rolls over to the year 2000.
Windows PCs (the Mac OS is OK)
If you are using a Windows PC, make sure you have updated your operating system (Windows 95, 98 etc.) and BIOS (a specialized program that coordinates the computerıs hardware and operating system. Your computerıs clock is managed by the BIOS). The bug fixes will handle the clock's rollover to the year 2000 and allow you to more accurately manage the creation and modification dates of files after the year 2000. This is important for accurate backups, searches for files by date and the proper interpretation of years entered with two characters.
If you have a very old personal computer, a Y2K patch may not be available and you may not want to or be able to upgrade to a newer operating system and BIOS. You can always manually change the date or, continue using the computer with an older date. The calendar repeats itself every 28 years, so 1972 will have the same days of the week as the year 2000 (this is especially useful for non-compliant clocks on vcrs and other appliances). Be aware that your saved files may not have accurate creation and modification dates.
Productivity Software
Update the productivity programs you use regularly (Microsoft Office 95, 97, 98 etc.) with any Y2K patches provided by the manufacturer. There are free patches for older version of many programs. You may be surprised to find that even recent programs have patches that fix bugs or make better choices when faced with 2 character dates. A reminder for Macintosh users, although the Macintosh operating system has always handled the year 2000 correctly, the programs you use on your Mac may need updates.
Some licensed, shareware and demo software is designed to run for a specific length of time. The software may not deal with the roll-over to the year 2000 correctly. Be prepared to reinstall or update this software.
If you use any kind of backup program (which you should be using), use caution after the year 2000. Confirm that the program is Y2k compliant and that your computer has handled the transition to the year 2000 properly. Any automated scripts that delete or manage files by date should be checked carefully.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility maintain explanations of Y2K computer problems at (http://www.cpsr.org/program/y2k/) and the U.S government has more wide ranging information at (http://www.consumer.gov/y2k/).
Obtaining Y2K patches
As an aid to staff members, some patches are available at the download area of HeightsNET (www.chuh.org/Y2K/) and on the HeightsNET CD. We have tried to identify the most current patches and updates for date critical software used regularly in the district. The completeness and accuracy of information presented here cannot be guaranteed. If you are doing date critical work, you should confirm with the manufacturers, the Y2K patches you need, and double check all date entries calculations.
Institutions you deal with
Protect yourself from mistakes made by the institutions you deal with. Keep paper records of your accounts and compare what the institution reports after the year 2000 with what was reported in 1999. Whenever date-based calculations are reported, confirm that they are accurate. It is a good idea to always double check information reported to you, not just at the start of the year 2000.
Happy New Year
Enjoy your winter break, relax and celebrate the start of the last year of the 20th Century.
Union Technologist Index