I snipped this from a site, can provide link if nec. I would like to know if any one has any info on this subject.

snip

1. According to 50 year researcher Maureen Heaton, "....logical and maintenance flows have been discovered in the design of worldwide programming code and databases. These flows will result in the collapse of the world's computer systems on or before 2000 AD.....On November 1, 1968, the National Bureau of Standards issued a Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB#4) where the use of 6 digit dates for all information exchanges between Federal agencies was specified. A source check (of government documents on http://www.ltl.nist.gov/div897/pubs/fip4-1.htm) reveals that FIPS Pub #4 was superseded by FIPS Pub #4 -21 on 27 January, 1988 by the action of the Secretary of Commerce. In this standards representation the following paragraph precedes the inclusion of #10. Specifications: For purposes of electronic data interchange in any recorded form among U.S. Government agencies, NIST highly recommends that four-digit year elements be used. The year should encompass a two-digit century that precedes, and is contiguous with, a two-digit year-of-central (e.g. 1999,2000, etc). In addition, optional two-digit year time elements specified in ANSI X3.30-1985 (R1991) should not be used for the purposes of any data interchange among U.S. Government agencies."

Has the government conformed to ANSI recomendations, and Secretary of Commerce's direction or not? 11 years should be enough time (IMHO) to correct/replace the code.

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@hotmail.com), June 25, 1999

Answers

This is new to me. Apparently they chose to ignore it. We have several participants that seem to imply the next 6 months ought to be enough time get the job done! Of course, they mumble and stumble alot.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 25, 1999.

Some agencies are probably not subject to the FIPS, such as DoD, DoE, Library of Congress, etc. They would have a slightly better excuse for the lapse.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 25, 1999.

Most Federal Agencies utiize the FIPS as a guide. There is not an agency that accepts FIPS as the RULE. Some of the agencies disregard FIPS as an unwarrented intrusion into their little worlds. "This works for us so who are you to tell us to change?" This was IRS's attitude thruout their doomed attempt to upgrade in 1997. (Now they're going to do it in 10 months by using a subcontractor).

Most Federal Agencies put themselves above someone else telling them how to do something. If they won't listen to the Congress Budget Office or GAO, what makes you think they would listen to someone with no teeth?

-- Lobo (athelair@yahoo.com), June 25, 1999.

Thanks for the replies,

Does anyone know what authority the Sec. of Comerce has, and what his/her respnsibilities are?

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@hotmail.com), June 25, 1999.

Hang on here! Some very critical logic is being passed over. Read and then re-read this:

On November 1, 1968, the National Bureau of Standards issued a Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB#4) where the use of 6 digit dates for all information exchanges between Federal agencies was specified. A source check (of government documents on http://www.ltl.nist.gov/div897/pubs/fip4-1.htm) reveals that FIPS Pub #4 was superseded by FIPS Pub #4 -21 on 27 January, 1988 by the action of the Secretary of Commerce. In this standards representation the following paragraph precedes the inclusion of #10. Specifications: For purposes of electronic data interchange in any recorded form among U.S. Government agencies, NIST highly recommends that four-digit year elements be used. The year should encompass a two-digit century that precedes, and is contiguous with, a two-digit year-of-central (e.g. 1999,2000, etc). In addition, optional two- digit year time elements specified in ANSI X3.30-1985 (R1991) should not be used for the purposes of any data interchange among U.S. Government agencies."

In 1968, all governmental agencies adopted the 2 digit date standard in order to COMMUNICATE with intergovernmental agencies as well as subcontractors, information suppliers etc, etc.

Now, what is being stated here is that in 1988 A NEW STANDARD was adopted and all agencies were to comply. This cannot be shrugged off as incidental or inconsequential.

NO. 1: either all agencies of the government HAD to ignore this OR

NO. 2: all of them had to comply. Consider the implications of data sharing.

Personally, I do not buy the business of ignoring an FIPS 'directive'.

Another *questionable* point to raise is the interoperability between 4 year digit 'corrected' governmental entities and their subcontractors/info. suppliers.

This raises several very important questions that cannot simply be shrugged off as bureaucratic nonsense.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), June 26, 1999.