| From: | Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Real-Life Computing ... |
| Date: | Thu, 28 May 1998 17:19:52 -0400 |
<stuff snipped>
>
>><rant>
>>I whole heatedly agree. I don't know if there is some huge
>>earth-shaking concept I'm missing here but WHY IS THIS SUCH A BIG
>>PROBELM!?
Okay, so for the average person's PC, Y2K probably isn't a big deal. And
if your VCR still works, who cares if it thinks it's taping Dharma & Greg
in the year 1900? As long as it works, right?
But you have to remember what's really at stake, and that's corporate and
governmental databases and enterprises. As Adam pointed out, stuff like
your bank account, your Social Security Number (or equivalent), all sorts
of vital information is in danger. And as Adam pointed out, much of this
was written in some language or other that there is a decreasing
familiarity with (like COBOL). And what about those huge ERP systems set
up by SAP or Baan or PeopleSoft? Those are nearly custom-written code for
each friggin' installation (which is why a SAP install can take months,
even with plug-ins and modules). Those sorts of program, which run major
corporations like IBM for example, have a serious problem with Y2K. A
simple BIOS upgrade won't do a damn thing for a SAP enterprise installation.
Can you imagine if all the Western governments and the Fortune 1000 all
shut down, because their enterprises and their databases glitch up?
Serious fraggin' problem, and that's a worst-case scenario for Y2K.
Will that happen? Not likely. But I can guarantee you that there will be
some fairly significant companies and governmental agencies that screw the
pooch on Jan 1, 2000, because they didn't implement a solution of some sort
fast enough. A recent study was released stating that many Department of
Defense and similar government agencies are behind on their Y2K fixes are
in major danger of not having an adequate solution in place in time.
So I'm not worried about my own computer (and my old one is a Mac, which
doesn't have the problem anyway), but I am worried about what'll happen
when I go to the ATM for money or when I file my tax return.
Yes, the media is guilty of a bit of hype here, but it doesn't bother me.
I can stand hype if it helps get the fraggin' problem solved.
Erik J.
"Ladies & Gentleman, the newest member of the band, the one and only Spice
Boy, GRUMPY SPICE!!!" <and the crowd goes wild!!!>
