The Year 2000 Issue: What Does It Mean For Engineers?
The onset of the next millennium could begin with a cruel twist of fate. Computers and electronic devices capable of performing
millions of instructions per second may simply not be able to detect January 1, 2000.
Instead the clocks on those machines will read the date as January 1, 1900. Software that depends on correctly processing dates
may give erroneous results or simply cease to function. These potential catastrophes, and the measures required to cope with
them, have come to be known as the Year 2000 or Y2K problem. Some survivalists think that modern economies have become so
complex and so dependent on technology that the Y2K problem could have consequences that are far more drastic than those
from an earthquake or hurricane. They foresee global disruptions in the flow of goods and services necessary to maintain a
modicum of comfort and civilization. Others see it as a minor nuisance that is fueling a booming and profitable Y2K panic
economy. The Y2K issue will turn out to be a significant engineering challenge because the scope and extent of the problem can
be difficult to define. Outside the federal government, military installations and large Fortune 500 corporations, there is a
"wait-and-see" attitude characterized by curiosity, amusement and even contempt. Y2K jokes are becoming quite fashionable.