Y2k 3 Essay, Research Paper

First of all, what is Y2K? Well, this increasingly popular word represents the Year 2000 . January 1, 2000 will be incredibly significant, not just because it represents the beginning of a new century, but also because on that date, a problem that will affect the whole world will occur. A large percentage of older computer systems and software will either stop working or malfunction. This problem is referred to as the Millennium Bug . It is the bug that when the date is switched from 1999 to 2000, the computers are not able to recognize the differences and will mistakenly believe that it is 1900, since there are only two digits that stands for dates.

Y2k is going to be a bomb with non-changeable deadline to our society. It is our duty to raise awareness of the Year 2000 Problem in our communities. Let your Head know that we take this problem very seriously and we must take appropriate action.

This bomb was setup in the 60 s by the programmers who wanted to save spaces and money. During that period, the large mainframe computers needed were very expensive to build and to operate. A large amount of memory was needed to show dates in four digits, because for every one more digit, there is ten times the memory needed. In an attempt to save money and precious memory, programmers discovered that they could eliminate unnecessary data by shortening dates to only two digits. So, the year 1974 was shortened to just 74, and so on…

Many people think that this is not a big deal. Eventhough the issue was discussed in many media of different aspects, the officials from the government are always trying to convince us that it is going to be under control. Many others think that while thousands of top professional scientists are working on the problem, there is nothing they can do to help it.

The problem could be fixed by year 2000, but there is a good chance that the problem will occur. Even if you do not normally use a computer at home or at work, this problem will likely disturb you daily life. Because we live in a world that relies on satellites, air, rail, manufacturing plants, electricity, heat, telephones, and television; financial and banking systems, utilities, government, healthcare, defense-all of these systems rely on computers. As random computers in various places of the society begin to fail, they will likely to cause failures in the systems relating to them.

Many computers today rely on date-sensitive processes to track maintenance schedules, calculate rates or progress, and anticipate results based on the dates involved. For example, elevators use a very simple computer to operate. One of the functions of the system is to track the hours of operation since the last service. If the date suddenly show as 00 , the elevator computer would think that it hadn t been serviced since 1900, over 100 years. It will automatically shut down, and returning to the first floor until serviced.

Another good example are banks and loan institutes. If someone borrowed 1,000 dollars before the year 2000 with interest, when the date reaches 00, the computer is going to believe that this person owes the bank for more than one hundred years. And with the interest rate compounding within this one hundred years, that person is going to be in debt for millions of dollars.

Now, imagine the same process in the systems controlling the public water supply, power companies, business computers, and communication, and you can begin to see the magnitude of the problem and how broad it covers. So if there’s a chance that we might experience interruptions to the delivery of food, fuel or power to our valley, and we’re aware that such disruptions are possible, why don t we begin to prepare for them now?

This problem was being discovered ten years ago by scientists, but it was never fixed. Why weren t these systems fixed 10 years ago? Human nature and money are part of it. When people sees the benefits of present, they won t try to see the long term of it. Even if they see the problem in the future, they just don t want to deal with it until it occurs.

Many people predicted that what will happen in January 1, 2000, is that all the computers that are affected is going to shut down or malfunction. Electricity will be out, water will not be available, transportation will be disrupted, food will be high demanding, and the whole world will just be in chaos.

The size of the problem is the problem. Because there are so many different types of computer systems in the world with an estimated number of over 2.5 billion. Although only 1-2 percent are actually date sensitive, but it is nearly impossible to determine which ones will be affected, and which ones will not, making it necessary to test nearly every one.

There is no easy way to fix this problem. The only way is to test the suspected chips, and then replace the ones that fail. Where software is involved, it is necessary for programmers to physically check the lines of code in the software that deal with dates, and then rewrite the software to accommodate the full date. There is a shortage of such qualified programmers to accomplish this task, making it difficult to finish the tasks in time. This task is also high-cost, with an estimate at over 2 trillion dollars alone in the US, and the deadline is non-negotiable.

It is impossible to finish all the work in time, but we can at least reduce the impact of it by well preparing for it. Most of the businesses, including the U.S. Government, is separating the operations into Critical and Non-Critical , and then focusing on the ones that are most necessary needed to be fixed for day-to-day operations.

The good news is that many systems will be fixed in time. Those that won t will no doubt cause us some inconvenience, and at least minor disruptions in our everyday lives. Some thing s may only affect us for a few days, and others for a few months, but Y2K is not the end of the world.

Do we need to be prepared for the Millennium Bug ? Yes, we definitely need to aware of the impact it is going to cause. Start preparing now, the important thing to remember is not to prepare for this event to the point where you can t afford it to not happen. It is a common sense to stock extra food, water and basic supplies for the event. It is also a good decision to look for information on preparation through internet or local Y2K service providers.

Y2K is not the end of the world! There is no reason to pack up and move to the hills . The point is to insure that you are safe and reduce the impact on you daily life as much as possible. Take advantage of the days ahead to prepare for your family, your friends and those around you. Talk to them and find out where they are in relation to this issue, and encourage them to begin their own preparation today. There is still time for individuals to prepare without panic, but there is no time to waste.