Dwight Watt Internet Article #14


#14 - Y2K Rumors and more 12/2/1998

#14 - Y2K Rumors and more

The rumors continue to fly on the Year 2000 crisis. As I have stated in previous articles, I believe there is a problem, but I do not believe that civilization as we know it will end on December 31, 1999.

Rumors and the facts:

Rumor: All computers and other electronic equipment not Y2K compliant will not work after 12/31/1999.
Fact: You will have to put the date in these computers to work. Also the software may not produce the right answers if it is not Y2K compliant. However for most PC uses, they will work fine. As far as your VCR, etc, you will just have to put in dates or not use the auto recording features. In summary the landfills do not have to be filled with all these pieces of equipment on 1/1/2000.

Rumor: Your car will not work after 12/31/1999.
Fact: I have seen no evidence of any part of a car being date controlled. I do see mileage controlled items, but no mechanic has yet told me of any parts that have date controls in them.

Rumor: American Airlines has cancelled all flights on 12/31/1999, 1/1/2000 and 1/2/2000.
Fact: I contacted American Airlines and Tracy Hassell, their Year 2000 Senior Project Manager, wrote me on 10/30/1998 and stated "We do not expect there to be any change or disruption in our commercial relationship as a result of year 2000 issues". Furthermore their fact sheet states "We do not expect any change or disruption in our service to you up to and through the year 2000".

Rumor: Non Y2K compliant items can not be fooled in to thinking the right day.
Fact: You can use the perpetual calendar to put in a 2oth century year that has same days of weeks. Ray Troxell in Arizona supplied the following:
YEAR CODE YEAR CODE YEAR CODE YEAR CODE
1998 70 2005 66 2012 84 2019 68
1999 71 2006 67 2013 74 2020 92
2000 72 2007 73 2014 69 2021 71
2001 73 2008 80 2015 70 2022 66
2002 74 2009 70 2016 88 2023 67
2003 69 2010 71 2017 67 2024 68
2004 76 2011 66 2018 73 2025 69

Rumor: There is a 10K problem coming.
Fact: This one is true and may well hit us before Y2K really does. What it is that programs storing the Dow Industrial Average have only allowed for a 4 digit number. We now have a Dow over 9000 and headed to break 10,000 sometime soon. The big problem is that some of the automatic trading programs have this bug and when the Dow drops below a certain number put out sell orders on the stock. When the Dow breaks 10,000 they will think it fell to zero, below the sell point, and there will be a massive sell off causing a record crash within minutes after a record high in the Dow. Remember 1929.

Rumor: None of our utilities will work.
Fact: The utility companies are working urgently to fix the problem and have emergency generators to keep their equipment up if the plant shuts down so they can then fix the parts and get it back up and running. Likewise most computer centers are also equipped.

Hope this makes some things a little clearer on the Y2K problem.

Dwight

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This is part of a series of little articles I am doing across the Internet. I plan to write several times a month on a variety of subjects. It may be religious at times, political at times, and at other times just my reactions on something happening out there. It will often be like an op-ed article. If I do what I intend, you will at times want to shout I agree, other times you will want to say Dwight has really lost it now, but most importantly I want to challenge you to think. Feel free to forward this to others. If you don't want to get this e-mail let me know. Feel free to use what you read from me, but I request you give me credit and send a tear sheet. Thanks.

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Dwight Watt
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