FREE ESSAY ON Y2K

Y2K

Y2K: Are You Ready?
Why is the Y2K problem being overlooked? The Year 2000 is rapidly approaching! Will we be
ready in time? 
Y2K stands for Year 2000 Catastrophe. Y2K seems to be overlooked for a variety of
reasons. One of the biggest reasons is because people are not aware that there is a Y2K
problem because so few are computer literate. Most of the general public, while being
exposed to computers, just does not realize how computers have taken over the grueling
task of keeping our country running. From writing social security checks to timing
traffic signals, keeping banking account records to controlling food stocks at the local
supermarket, computers are involved. 
Some other reasons include that the general public just doesn't care about Y2K and that
the government doesn't want to expose the issue and cause a panic. No one in the world
knows what's going to happen. Y2K could cause chaos and destruction, or just pass over as
if nothing happened. The real question on my mind is what's going to happen to when the
world hits midnight on January 1, 2000?
Dale Kasler explains, The Y2K problem is this: Many computer programs recognize years
only by the last two digits, rendering them incapable of telling the difference between
1900 and 2000 (2). My definition of Y2K is billions of computers that can't decipher the
difference between a two-digit date and a four-digit date. This problem makes the
computers go haywire, or just shut down because it doesn't know the difference between
1900 and 2000. For example, the computers figure out how old you are by the year of your
birth year. I am 19 years old by subtracting '79 from the current year of '99, but in two
years when I subtract '79 from '00 I will be -79 years old. 
The Government was first notified in 1969-70 says Rickey Staves, RGS Consultants,
President. The government overlooked the Y2K problem, because they figured that they
didn't need to worry about it. Yes, there was a crisis in Vietnam at the time, but there
should have been some sort of effort to bring out this issue of Y2K to the American
people. The government didn't care because, why take care of a problem that is 30 years
away? This problem would have been no problem if Y2K had been addressed to the general
public, business community, government departments and, utility companies. Instead, the
government decided not to deal with the Y2K problem and let the children of the future
deal with it. 
There are many people who have a lack of awareness of the Y2K problem. Other problems are
pressing, but we need to start taking action. There has to be some kind of
acknowledgement by the public. 
One field that should start taking action is our nation's hospitals. They have a total
lack of awareness of Y2K. According to a nationwide survey of 1,700 hospitals, fewer than
one-third of the respondents had developed a year 2000 compliance plan and only one in
five had implemented such a plan. Worse, and most alarming, 18 percent of these hospitals
are planning no action to protect their systems. Pity the patient who checks into one of
these hospitals on January 1, 2000 (Hyatt 144).
You would think hospitals would be the first to be 2000 compliant. It's terrifying to
know that many hospitals don't even have a plan to be 2000 compliant. It's about time for
the hospitals to start getting ready for the new Millennium. There might be situations
where respirator machines stop working or someone gets the wrong dosage of medication.
These are just two of the possible tragedies that could happen.
Many businesses have overlooked the Y2K problem, according to Tasha Getlin; twenty-three
percent of all companies and government agencies have not started to address the Y2K
issue. By addressing this issue it could cause panic to their customers, but if you tell
your customers that the Y2K problem is under control and you don't have it under control;
you opened yourself up to a lawsuit (5c). Isn't it better off to have the Y2K problem
under control and be ready so it will not cause a panic or a lawsuit from the customers?

A substantial number of people don't care about the Y2K issue, or they just think it's
all a big scam. It may look like a scam because it hasn't happen yet, but there is
evidence to support that Y2K is not a scam.
There are warning signs that this problem does exist. Honolulu's electric utility system
recently ran a series of computing tests on the city power grid to see what would happen
on January 1, 2000. The power system simply stopped working (Hyatt 8). In Kansas, a
104-year-old women was given a notice to enter kindergarten (Hyatt 9). 
You may start to care about Y2K when you're hungry looking for food and the deliveries
didn't make it to the market. Enough so that when your whole family is starving, you are
going to wish you had paid attention to Y2K. Prepare for the worst.
By getting a late start on fixing the problem, banks have also overlooked the Y2K. As of
March 1997, only 40 percent of U.S. banks had begun an earnest assessment of their Year
2000 impact (Hyatt 95). They are just now recognizing that they are late fixing Year 2000
corrective work and probably won't be 100 percent ready for January 1, 2000. Banks are at
least looking at the situation, but if they had taken action sooner this wouldn't occur.

What if you need your money for food and supplies, but the banks say you have no money in
the bank? There is no telling what you might do for survival. In extreme circumstances,
you might even take someone's life to keep your family alive. 
The Y2K crisis isn't just in the United States, it covers the whole world. Many countries
have overlooked the Y2K problem and only begun to acknowledge that there is a problem.
The international banks are further behind than the U.S. banks. In testimony before
Congress, Larry Martin, president of Data Dimensions, has claimed The lack of concern and
action on the part of the international banking community is particularly distressing.
The ability of international banks to operate effectively after the Year 2000 is, our
estimate, seriously in question (2). This proves that other countries are not taking Y2K
seriously. 
The only way to be 100 percent Year 2000 compliant is for the WHOLE WORLD to be
compliant, or we will be cut off from the rest of the world. The world, as we know it,
will no longer exist. There will be no communication between countries.
I have explained why Y2K has been overlooked and a few areas where it is being
overlooked. The government has downplayed the Y2K issue. They have taken this problem for
granted by not taking action in the past, leaving the issue to be dealt with by the
legislature in session in the year 2000. Hospitals have taken risks with public health by
not having a Year 2000 plan. Businesses have not even begun to address the Y2K issue
relating to their customers, leaving themselves to open lawsuits. Banks may not have
enough money to give to their depositors when people start stocking up on cash at the end
of this century. Y2K problem is not only an U.S. problem; it is a global problem. 
Can the world really be shutting down? Has the government done everything possible to
control the situation? How will Y2K affect everyone? Will Y2K be stopped in time? Is
there going to be power? Will anything work at all? These are just a few questions you
should be asking yourself as the new millenium draws close. 
Take a look at the world around you. Take a good look. When the new millenium dawns, will
it be the same, or will the world be chaos and destruction all around you? Only you can
answer this question.
As it finally sets in that the world is shutting down. There should be only one question
left to ask yourself. Will the world be ready in time for the Year 2000? 
Bibliography
Getlin, Tasha. Businesses said unprepared for Year 2000 glitch issue. Bay City Times. 24
Nov. 1998, 5c.
Hyatt, Michael S. The Millennium Bug: How to Survive the Coming Chaos. Washington, DC:
Regnery Publishing, 1998.
Kasler, Dale. Y2K prophet says doom talk is overrated: The glitches eventually will be
over come Online. The Sacramento Bee 30 Oct. 1998
Available http://www.sacbee.com/news/beetoday/newsroom/biz/103098/biz05.html.
Kelly, Jason. Y2K: IT'S ALREADY TOO LATE. Ed. Tammy Delatorre. Los Angeles: Jason Kelly
Press, 1998.
Martin, Larry. Testimony before Congress. President of Data Dimensions.
Staves, Rickey. Personal Interview. 23 March. 1999.