I was under the impression that we would start to see some failure in systems beginning 1/1/99, but did not hear of any, though I did some research. Am I looking in the wrong place? Did anyone hear of any? If there weren' t any, or were very minor, what does this mean for next year--if anything?

-- Karen (Mrs.Smackem@usa.net), January 14, 1999

Answers

This website is reporting '99 failures...

http://www.mardon- y2k.com/page17.html

-- Reporter (foo@foo.bar), January 14, 1999.

Karen,

There are many threads here that pulled up several stories over the past two weeks. Many of the 1999 computer glitches, as they are called, I suspect, we'll never hear about.

Just read. Think of it as a treasure hunt.

Enjoy, Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 14, 1999.

I am watching this.

http://info.cv.nrao.edu/y2k/sighting.htm

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), January 14, 1999.

Karen,

Diane is correct in that a lot of what happens will probably be kept under wraps. After all, Y2K screwups are not exactly good publicity! Here is one obvious example cited in an earlier post that happened at a Bank of America. I wonder if this clock is linked to the same computers that control the money?

http://www.homestead.com/PLANET5/INTRO.html

-- (m.d.@z.com), January 14, 1999.

looking at this could we all be wrong about Y2K, nothing happend???

-- Ron (mongo@earthling.net), January 14, 1999.

Here's another one, Peter DeJager's Year2000 website has just added a "Bug Byte" sighting page:

Y2K Bug Bytes

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 14, 1999.

Ron: I think it is much to soon to tell. I don't think that 1/1/99 was expected to have the effect that it did. 3/9/99 may be a little different story. There are only about 38 working days until this deadline... Then comes 4/1/99 and 6/1/99 and 7/1/99 and 9/9/99, 10/1/99. Not to mention all of the creative places in between.

I also belive that more of our programs look back than look forward. So I would expect more problems on the other side of 2000.

There is also all of the "fixes" that don't quite work right yet that don't help the problem any.

-- Reporter (foo@foo.bar), January 15, 1999.

Don't know if this counts, but on 1/9/99, I had a great deal of trouble getting onto the web. No problem getting to AOL, just couldn't get connected to websites. Anyone know if we will have the same problem on the 9th of each month this year?

-- Flagirl (Filterlady@aol.com), January 15, 1999.

Karen,

One of the very best articles that summarizes failures due to the 98/99 rollover is this one...

http://detnews.com/1999/technology/9901/05/01050148.htm

These failures give little clue as to what will happen next year. The January 1999 failures were almost all software problems. The January 2000 failures that will hurt the most will be due to embedded system failures in things like sewer treatment plants and water systems.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 15, 1999.

Also...

The biggest 1/1/1999 story has to do with what happened to some people with BlueCross/BlueShield prescription cards. I've only seen one article in the press relating to this:

http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-01/05/0411-010599- idx.html

...but I personally know someone who is retired from a business--not a government agency--who had a similar experience with their prescription card starting on January 1, 1999.

The BlueCross/BlueShield story was the biggest and yet the most under- reported story so far this year. An investigative reporter should have looked into this.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 15, 1999.

I can't figure out why that link doesn't work, but the title of the Washington Post article is "Company Erroneously Denies Federal Workers' Drug Benefits".

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 15, 1999.