and there was the upcoming problem that a LOT of calculations that depended on the date (including the year) would go badly wrong. This was because all years were assumed to start with 19 -- but in 2000, the two-digit date method would show the year as 1900.There was some risk of various systems crashing or simply stopping, but the larger risk was in financial calculations that depended on having the correct date.Many,......
Well, the programs did continue to be used, and there was the upcoming problem that a LOT of calculations that depended on the date (including the year) would go badly wrong. This was because all years were assumed to start with 19 -- but in 2000, the two-digit date method would show the year as 1900.
There was some risk of various systems crashing or simply stopping, but the larger risk was in financial calculations that depended on having the correct date.
Many, many programmers were put to the task of rewriting the old programs; a lot of these were retirees, re-hired on an emergency basis (and for big pay), because they knew the old material best. (They had created a lot of it, after all.)
Through heroic amounts of effort, the Y2K problem was mostly eliminated; when the calendar went to 01/01/00, there was not much disruption. A lot pf people, seeing that there was little difficulty that occurred on that day, scoffed at the former predictions: "See? It wasn't nearly as bad as you said. You were wrong!" ...But these people did not know how much work had gone into making the problem become small. The programmers were the "hidden heroes"; thank a nerd today! :-)
A lot of computers used a two digit system to determine the year. This was a data storage problem... When 99 clicked over to the next year, many of these computers would 'think' the new year would be 1900, as designed by the two digit year code. Most computers made in the 90s were already Y2K compliant, so it was mostly an issue with older drives, softwares, and hardwares. Still, I wouldn't want to see hom muchinterest my banking account would have 'earned' in negative 75 years.
Other electrical components, and utilities such as gas, heating, and plumbing was suspected to have some of this old software as well. The concern being, would this stuff 'crash' or not?
Wikipedia actually covers it pretty well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y2k
Supposedly every computer and microchip in the world was gonna crash at the same time because they weren't programmed for a double zero. There was some maintenence to be done, for sure, but it didn't end the world. I think.
