Earth Changes TV - Y2K: It's not over until it's over

Y2K: It's not over until it's over...07/01/99
MSNBC

With six months to go, readiness reports trickle in, new fiscal years start, and cautiously-worded reassurances flow.
Keep the public alerted to Y2K — but avoid panic. Hustle to update computers — but expect to miss the Dec. 31 deadline. With precisely six months to go until the clock strike midnight on the millennium, the world is ready — but not quite.

THAT'S THE MIXED MESSAGE offered at a U.N. conference on international preparedness for the year 2000 computer bug, held earlier this week — a mixed message being repeated by institutions around the nation, and around the world.

The concern is that some computer programs, especially older ones, might fail when the date changes to 2000. Older programs were written to recognize only the last two digits of a year. As a result, such programs could read the digits "00" as 1900 instead of 2000. No country is immune.

The U.N. conference drew officials from more than 170 countries. Delegates included experts responsible for checking on anything from computers that run banks and electric utilities, to the machines that keep airplanes flying, get food delivered and water purified.

All aim to ensure that governments and businesses large and very small hum as usual on Jan. 1, 2000. They're also overseeing contingency plans. Early in the day, experts gave an optimistic assessment of Y2K readiness worldwide. It just won't be completely ready, they said. "The Y2K problem is too global, too complex, and too systemic to be totally solved on time," said Carlos Braga, head of the World Bank's Y2K program. Not to worry.