RE--Year 2000

From: "Richard A. Bauer" <owowo@fclass.net>
Subject: RE--Year 2000
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 21:37:59 -0500

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Jerry Conley wrote: It seems to me that whether or not the year 2000 problems 
will be as great as many are forcasting or not, the emotional impact on the 
stock market can be a disaster. Does anyone have any words of wisdom on how to 
protect one's investments other than just holding on until it recovers? Would 
the bond market be a better place to be? I already know that it is wise to sell 
high and buy low, thank you!!
Personally I am not worried.  I do work on Y2K for desktop systems and have 
over 30 years of data processing experience.  The NYSE is going to start 
running test systems with year 2000 dates - I believe they are to start this 
7/13/98.

There will be emotional impact, survivalists, doomsayers, etc.  But the storm 
will be weathered.

There are not enough programmers to fix all year 2000 problems by the year 
2000.  However, most companies will have their mission critical systems up and 
running for year 2000 IMO.

Here are some of the Year 2000 problems:

**PC Hardware - some 486s and pentiums will be y2k compliant - most 486s and 
pentiums will be ok just so long as they are not on over the midnight hour and 
the clock is set when turned on 1/1/2000.
**PC application software (Microsoft Excel, Lotus 123, databases, etc.)  They 
all have different "windowing" techniques and application to application 
transfer of data can cause problems.
**PC files (spreadsheets and databases and text parameter files) may use dates 
in ways that cause problems - all such files must be looked at.
**Mainframe COBOL and other language based systems must resolve all uses of two 
digit year fields.
**Imbedded dates in claim numbers and so forth must be corrected to ensure 
proper sorts, selection, printouts, etc.  For example a claim number in the 
form YYMMDDSSSS (where SSSS is a serial number) must be changed to YYYYMMDDSSSS 
format.  Else year 2000 and 1900 stuff will be together (00MMDDSSSS), and year 
2000 and 1900 stuff will sort before all other 19xx and 2xxx dates.
**Forms and screens must have room for four digit years.
**Imbedded computers in certain equipment (electric generators, medical 
equipment, security systems, etc) must be checked for year 2000 compliance - 
along with how the equipment interfaces with other date driven systems.
**and the list goes on.

Richard B
St Louis






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