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What is Y2K? 11.57 a.m. ET (1709 GMT) December 4, 1999 By Anick Jesdanun, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP)  Y2K talk is everywhere. The Year 2000 bug has spawned several books, countless articles in magazines and newspapers, even a TV movie. It's enriched computer programmers and advisers. The Commerce Department estimates that government and businesses will have spent more than $100 billion by 2001 in the United States alone. So what exactly is Y2K, and what should you do about it? Here's a basic guide:

Q. What is Y2K all about? A. Y2K stands for Year 2000 and commonly refers to computer problems that might arise from a programming practice of using only two digits to represent a year. Programmers adopted the technique decades ago to save memory, which was expensive at the time. At the end of this year, "99'' will roll over to "00,'' much like a car odometer that has reached its limit. If left uncorrected, computers might misread "00'' for 1900 in the new year, disrupting systems that run power grids, control traffic lights and perform other key tasks.

Q. What is being done about it? A. Over several years, programmers have examined trillions of lines of computer code, looking for date references and fixing the coding when necessary. Despite all the time and money, Y2K experts do not expect to finish the job. So, for less-critical systems, governments and businesses have come up with alternative ways to do the same tasks. Also, they are planning for the unexpected, in case some date references were overlooked. With such contingencies in place, widespread disruptions are unlikely, although sporadic outages are possible.

Q. I don't even use a computer, so I have nothing to worry about, right? A. No. Older video cassette recorders might not record your favorite shows. Home burglar alarms might cease to function. Some coffee makers and microwave ovens have chips in them, although those appliances tend to care less what year it is. At any rate, check with manufacturers for guidance. Even if all of your appliances are OK, you could be susceptible to problems beyond your control. For instance, an errant computer elsewhere might send you a bill for all charges in the 20th century, thinking your last payment was in 1900. Utilities, banks, credit cards, phones and airplanes all depend heavily on computers.

Q. So should I cancel all my travel and withdraw all my money from the bank? A. That might have been good advice had private industries not addressed the issue. But government officials are confident that the major systems have been fixed to correctly read the year. In fact, extreme behavior such as stuffing cash under a mattress might cause shortages unrelated to Y2K and make you more vulnerable to crime. That is not to say nothing will go wrong, either. Minor glitches are likely at the local level and with smaller businesses, and Y2K experts advise planning for temporary disruptions the way you would for an approaching winter storm or hurricane. And if traveling abroad, check the State Department's Web site at travel.state.gov/y2kca.html. Some foreign countries are less prepared than the United States.

Q. What can I do to help? A. Plan for potential problems  and plan early. That means making sure you have fresh batteries for flashlights and radio, as well as stocks of nonperishable food and water. This way, should there be actual disruptions, you won't tax the emergency response system with your needs. And by planning early, you help prevent lines and shortages that procrastinators might cause. There is no need to overreact, either. Hoarding drugs, food and other supplies could also cause artificial shortages. One other thing: Try to avoid picking up the phone just after midnight to check for a dial tone. If everyone does that, the phone network could be overwhelmed.

Q. I've heard that government officials will be monitoring Y2K problems all day Dec. 31. Why so early? A. Midnight strikes the Republic of Kiribati in the South Pacific when it is 5 a.m. Dec. 31 in New York. Midnight then hits Australia, Asia, Europe and eventually the United States. That doesn't mean you need to only pay attention to your local time. Many systems, including air traffic control, use a standard of Greenwich time, which is five hours ahead of Eastern time. After all, planes fly across time zones so quickly, it would be impractical  and even dangerous  for pilots to have to change their clocks while airborne.

Q. What if the power goes out or the ATM won't give me cash? A. Don't assume it's a Y2K failure, and don't assume it's a problem everywhere. Power goes out all the time, and the electric companies have backup systems in place and can borrow power from neighboring utilities. If an ATM doesn't work, go to another a few blocks away.

Q. So if I wake up on Jan. 1, and nothing went wrong, then should I assume that Y2K was much ado about nothing? A. Not really. Although computer failures are most likely to appear at midnight Dec. 31, Y2K troubles aren't restricted to that second or even that weekend. In fact, a few problems have already surfaced. Some federal agencies had minor trouble on Oct. 1, the start of fiscal 2000. And in Maine, motor-vehicle officials mistakenly classified model 2000 cars as pre-1916 "horseless carriages.'' Pay attention to Monday, Jan. 3, the first business day of the new year. Some problems could also crop up as businesses go through the first billing cycle for 2000. Feb. 29 is another key date: Some computers might not recognize 2000 as a leap year because years that end in "00'' usually aren't.

Q. Where can I get more information? A. President Clinton's advisory group has an Internet site at www.y2k.gov and a toll-free number: 1-888-USA-4-Y2K. The American Red Cross has information at www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/y2k.html. Both groups offer brochures, as do many other private organizations and government agencies. For more specific regional and local information, check with your local officials, utilities and hospitals.

Q. Any other words of wisdom? A. Have a happy new year, and continue with your millennium plans. Whatever happens, there is no need to panic. Y2K planners expect they can handle any disruptions as long as the public stays calm. They have contingency plans in place, and so will you, right?

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As 1999 ends, Y2K focus shifts from computer readiness to personal preparedness 11.55 a.m. ET (1708 GMT) December 4, 1999 By Anick Jesdanun, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP)  After spending years and billions of dollars to get business and government ready for Y2K, one main task remains: To make you ready. So here's some advice from the folks who clean up after floods, hurricanes and tornadoes: Treat the computer bug as you would an approaching storm. As the year ends, the focus shifts from getting computers ready to getting people prepared. Tests and simulations suggest that there's little need to worry about widespread disruptions, but sporadic glitches are likely  somewhere. "No one can say what will happen,'' warns Rocky Lopes, the top disaster educator at the American Red Cross. "It's always a good idea to be prepared for anything that may disrupt your life.'' That's sound advice for natural disasters, he says, as well as "any consequences that Y2K may bring along.'' Y2K experts do not advise buying months of food, drugs and other supplies. In fact, overreaction could lead to shortages unrelated to Y2K glitches. The Red Cross does encourage families to take stock of supplies. Put fresh batteries in flashlights and radios, and get a first aid kit. Gather extra blankets, coats and hats to keep warm. Top off the tank of gas. Get a refill on prescriptions when you have a five- to seven-day supply left. Families should also stock several days' worth of nonperishable food and water  a gallon per person per day is a good guideline. Have portable cooking devices on hand. And do all this as early as possible to beat any last-minute rush. Also, get extra supplies where local governments do not appear ready. But, no, don't withdraw all your money from the bank. Some banks will open on New Year's Day to counter perceptions  unfounded, the bankers say  that ATMs may malfunction. Even Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, recommends taking only enough for a normal holiday weekend and warns that too much cash could tempt muggers. President Clinton's Y2K advisory council has a 31-page pamphlet to help individuals prepare, as well as a toll-free information line  1-888-USA-4-Y2K  and a Web site at www.y2k.gov. The Red Cross has already distributed more than 20 million brochures. Other government and private groups have Web sites and brochures as well. Among other tips: Check with manufacturers of personal computers, security systems and other electronic equipment to make sure they will work properly. Many fixes for PCs are available on the Internet. Also, back up computer files and install software to block viruses. Keep copies of bank, medical and other records, and list phone numbers for hospitals, police, fire departments and neighbors. Assess items and services that are critical to your family. Consider special needs for infants, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Read Y2K notices provided by utilities, telephone companies, local government and other services, and ask questions about their readiness. How well have they responded during past emergencies? "Take charge of your own Y2K life,'' says Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate's Y2K advisory committee. "Once you do your own checking, analyze and create your own contingency plan.'' If traveling abroad, check with the State Department's Web site at travel.state.gov/y2kca.html for advisories about specific countries. The State Department discourages travel to Belarus, Moldova, Russia and the Ukraine because of potential disruptions in power and other resources. Abroad, carry traveler's checks in case credit cards do not work. And use paper rather than electronic tickets, particularly when changing flights or airlines. Finally, beware of scams: Be wary of people who try to sell you Y2K insurance, or "Y2K safe'' products, services or investments. The Y2K bug stems from a common programming practice of using only two digits to represent a year. Computers that are not fixed might misinterpret "00'' as 1900, disrupting systems that run power grids, guide airplanes and coordinate traffic lights. The Commerce Department estimates that the government and private industries will have spent more than $100 billion by 2001  some $365 for every citizen  to identify and fix dates in the trillions of lines of computer programs. Tests show that banks, utilities, phone companies, air traffic controls and other key systems are essentially ready. However, smaller businesses and local governments might not be fully prepared, and problems abroad might affect U.S. commerce. Any preparation by individuals would come in handy in the event of problems. Some individuals and groups even advise going beyond the government recommendations. A "Y2K Survival Handbook'' sold at newsstands discusses such measures as buying firearms to prevent looting of supplies. The guide is filled with ads for preparation kits such as a "family pack'' that includes two bottles of aerobic oxygen for safe water storage. Jim Lord, who publishes a monthly Y2K newsletter, recommends six months' supply of necessities in case of unemployment related to Y2K. But John Koskinen, Clinton's Y2K czar, urges individuals to prepare modestly to prevent artificial shortages. "There are people who run the gamut from buying a house in the woods and turning it into a fortress to having three months' supply of food because everything's going to collapse,'' he says. "We don't have any evidence they are going to need that.'' Koskinen acknowledges the risk of creating unnecessary worry by stressing the need to prepare. But he insists information and sound advice is ultimately better than rumor and speculation. Besides, supplies not used for Y2K can be stored for the next winter storm or flood. Heed the advice of the Federal Emergency Management Agency: "Plan for the worst and hope for the best.''

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The PC isn't immune: How to test for Y2K bugs 11.54 a.m. ET (1706 GMT) December 4, 1999 By Anick Jesdanun, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP)  Even the personal computer isn't immune to the Year 2000 bug. While larger computers and networks used by business and government get most of the attention, the PC at home could be vulnerable, too. Risks are greater with older PCs, as well as banking, spreadsheets and other programs that use a lot of dates. Free remedies are available in most cases, but owners need to take the time to check their computers. Otherwise, come the new year, a PC might malfunction or corrupt data. An online banking program, for instance, might think a mortgage payment isn't due for another 100 years. Try explaining that to a bank preparing to foreclose on your home. "It's important for consumers to think about it if they have files, personal finance and other date-based transactions that are important to them,'' says Steve Cullen, vice president at Symantec Corp., which sells a Y2K tester for PCs. Despite warnings, many computers owners haven't yet acted. Steve Thurlow, Y2K program director at Intuit Inc., says traffic is steadily growing at a Web site for its Quicken home finance and other software. Still, he admits, he's "a little surprised at how people seem to be leaving things to the last minute.'' The Year 2000 bug, or Y2K, stems from a longstanding programming practice of using only two digits to represent the year. Computers might misread "00'' as 1900 unless they have been fixed. PCs have three areas that need checking: Hardware. Computer processors do not care about the year, but other computer components do. Most PCs have a separate internal clock and a system called BIOS to relay date and time information to the computer applications. The BIOS in older computers won't relay the correct century. Software, including the operating system. Word processors, Internet browsers and games may not care what year it is, but banking programs and spreadsheets do. Personal files. Computer users may have put bugs into their own files by using two-digit shortcuts in spreadsheets and other programs. Most PCs manufactured since 1998 and Apple computers do not have hardware problems, although software and data files still need to be checked. A Web site at www.pcy2000.org has information for major manufacturers. Free programs are available to test the BIOS. In most cases, computer users can update their PCs by obtaining special software through the Internet or by manually resetting the clock to a date in the new century. Next, check the operating system. Microsoft's Windows 3.1, 95 and 98 are all good for Y2K as long as computer owners upgrade to the latest versions, which are available for free. Microsoft has Y2K information at www.microsoft.com/y2k and through a toll-free number at 1-888-MSFT-Y2K. The company is loaning free videotapes through Blockbuster stores. Apple says its operating system is Y2K-ready, and that the latest versions are good forever, although one piece of software needs an update before 2019. The company expects to have a fix by then. More information is at www.apple.com/about/year2000. Computer users also need to check with Microsoft and other software vendors for updates to other software. Older versions of Intuit's Quicken, for instance, have online banking problems. Microsoft has a CD-ROM to test and update its applications. A Web site at www.y2kbase.com lists Y2K information for major vendors. Don Jones, director of Year 2000 readiness at Microsoft, recommends that consumers assess what programs they use. Individuals tend to use less than 15 percent of more than 100 programs installed in a typical computer. Microsoft tested more than 4,000 programs and found a handful of bugs, mostly minor ones that incorrectly displays dates rather than cause malfunctions. Data files are the hardest to check because no two users are alike. The key is to manually convert years to four digits when possible. Commercial Y2K programs such as Symantec's Norton 2000 and McAfee's Y2K Survival Kit can help. Don't make the mistake of assuming everything's OK just because one program shoots back the correct date. "No one component by and of itself will determine whether your whole system is capable,'' says Intel spokesman Bill Calder. "This is a systemwide issue. You have to look at each individual component.''

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At low-tech airport, Y2K fixes came late 11.30 a.m. ET (1642 GMT) December 4, 1999 By Frank Bajak, Associated Press SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)  Finally, technicians have finished work to remove the Year 2000 computer glitch from the radar and instrument landing systems at this country's main air traffic control center. Due to a supplier backlog, the final software patch didn't arrive until late November. The rest of the Y2K work at Las Americas airport was done in October, decidedly late by international standards and leaving little time for testing, but typical for a developing country. Yet the Dominican Republic is ahead of several others  including Argentina and Pakistan  in Y2K readiness, thanks in part to help from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency. It is difficult to know how many nations are seriously lagging in ridding their air traffic systems of the potentially crippling millennium bug, the legacy of computer programs that read only the last two digits of a year and mistake "00'' for 1900 instead of 2000. ICAO says 82 percent of its 185 member countries claim their air traffic services are Y2K ready or expect to be ready by Jan. 1. But neither the U.N. body nor the International Air Transport Association, comprised of all major airlines, has made public any details of the Y2K information it gathered from airlines, airports, air traffic service providers and government civil aviation agencies. "It's not good for business I guess,'' says Ed Smart, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations' representative to ICAO. Inside the Las Americas' low-tech control tower, the electronics consist only of an altimeter and radios for talking to pilots. The elevator is out of order, so employees hike up four flights of stairs. Down in the air traffic center, where controllers track 20-25 flights at any one time and more than 150 overflights per day on busy north-south routes, there's considerably more gear. It has independent generators that power the gear  a must at an airport where electricity and water outages are a nearly daily nuisance. There are also backup cellular and satellite phones that connect the Dominicans with controllers in Miami and Atlanta. And, ironically, there is an important legacy of this Caribbean nation's very recent transition to the high-tech world  a parallel manual tracking system. Unlike their counterparts in more advanced nations, whose Y2K contingency plans often mandate manual tracking as a backup, these controllers' routine includes keeping tabs on every plane within 200 miles with color-coded placards that they move around on a rack. "We didn't have an automated system until five years ago,'' when the radar was installed, said Ramon Cruzada, a controller who's been on the job 25 years.

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Y2K jitters grounding many New Year's travelers 11.29 a.m. ET (1642 GMT) December 4, 1999 By Frank Bajak, Associated Press SOUTHBOUND OVER THE CARIBBEAN (AP)  The flight attendants on this American Airlines jet, who share about a century of combined in-flight experience, all agree: They don't want to be flying in Latin America around New Year's. "I've never missed a trip. Not in 17 years. And I've never refused to work a holiday,'' says one veteran as she serves drinks at 30,000 feet. "But this time I'm going to do it. I'm going to skip that trip.'' The attendant asked not to be named. But another, Tim Johnson, gave it straight: "People are going to try to do everything that they can not to work the Caribbean and Latin America for that period, come hell or high water.'' Jitters over the Y2K readiness of air traffic control, navigation and airport systems  especially in parts of Latin America, Africa and Asia  are one reason for the low demand that has prompted airlines to cancel hundreds of flights over the Dec. 31-Jan. 1 period. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration says that all its systems are fully Y2K-compliant and that all federally regulated airports have reported meeting government Year 2000 safety requirements. From Argentina to Pakistan, however, some countries still have not finished purging their air traffic guidance centers of the millennium computer bug  missing by more than two months a Sept. 30 deadline set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. body. With the crucial clock rollover less than a month away, late modifications to critical systems leave inadequate time for testing, Y2K experts say. And while government and industry officials around the globe plan to be aloft at midnight Dec. 31 seeking to assure the public  Chinese airline executives will actually be at the cockpit controls  the industry will be in emergency mode. Controllers in potential trouble regions such as Asia and South America plan to allow more air space between flights, jetliners are being advised to carry extra fuel, and ICAO is setting up regional command centers that will report to a central nerve center at its Montreal headquarters. Major international carriers have worked hard and spent more than $2 billion to rid flight computers and reservation systems of the millennium bug. But nobody knows exactly what might go wrong, or where or when. "The safety issue isn't airplanes falling out of the sky,'' says Robin Guenier, director of the British private industry group Taskforce 2000. "Our view is that if there is any threat to safety, airlines won't fly.'' Jetliners may well be fine. But what if they can't communicate with the airport where they want to land? Or if it's foggy and failures occur in ground-based instrument landing systems that guide planes onto runways in poor visibility? Taskforce 2000 is recommending Britons don't fly for the five weeks from Christmas through late January. "If you don't have to travel, don't go,'' urged Guenier. "It's best to be at home in times of extreme uncertainty.'' Only a fraction of any Y2K-related failures  in the private and public sector alike  are expected to be felt on Jan. 1, with the bulk occurring in the days and weeks afterward. A few carriers, including Virgin Atlantic Airways and LOT Polish Airlines, are observing New Year's by not flying at all. Others have significantly cut back service. The Dutch carrier KLM had 35 flights en route at midnight last Dec. 31. This year, it has canceled all but two or three for that night, spokesman Hugo Baas said. Baas said more flights could be scratched as trouble regions are identified. "People should prepare for the possibility that there will be diverted or maybe even closed routes come January.'' Due to a drop in demand, American Airlines normally cancels 10-12 percent of its New Year's flights, said company spokesman John Hotard. "This year, that has increased to 20 percent,'' he said. American will have 17 flights aloft at midnight Dec. 31, all but one on trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific routes, and all landing in the daylight, when any failure of runway lights would not be an issue. Caution is also being observed by Japan Airlines, which has canceled 21 flights over the witching-hour period and will avoid takeoffs and landings for an hour before and after midnight. British Airways, whose long-haul flights for the rollover are down 53 percent from last year, will have 20 jets in the air at midnight Greenwich Mean Time, when air traffic systems' clocks register the new year. None of those flights are bound for the Indian subcontinent, an airline spokeswoman said. "Most of the airlines I've talked to are going to avoid India,'' said Ed Smart, a top official of the International Federation of Air Line Pilot Associations. "India says everything is peachy-keen. But most of the major airlines are going to fly around it or avoid the area.'' That includes neighboring Pakistan, whose Y2K coordinator said Nov. 29 that the country's airports may have to shut down during the rollover because its air traffic systems may not be ready in time, and the former Soviet republics to its north. Citing safety concerns, Thai Airways canceled 19 flights over New Year's, all of which would have traversed that questionable route to Europe and the Middle East. Singapore Airlines, although flying to Australia and New Zealand, scratched or rescheduled other flights. One U.S. congressman who has closely followed Y2K issues, Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Calif., has expressed concern that Russia, Japan and Italy were behind in aviation readiness, though without providing details. On Friday, the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Russia's civil aviation chief, Vladimir Andreyev, as saying the agency has fixed or replaced only about 50 percent of 2,470 computers involved in flight control and identified as having Y2K problems. Andreyev made it clear that many would not be fixed by Jan. 1. Also among laggards in South America are Colombia, where the clocks on its five radars were being turned ahead to 2028 as a stopgap measure, and Argentina, which says it won't have a Y2K-compliant radar system installed until mid-December at its main air traffic center. As one contigency, Smart at the international pilots group has urged that military airports be authorized to handle commercial traffic during the uncertain period. In western Europe, extensive contingency plans include handing off flight-monitoring to neighboring air traffic control centers should one installation lose radar, ground-to-air communications, access to flight plans and/or weather information. "Basically our systems are secure and safe and we will have additional staff'' on duty during the rollover, said Jean-Marie Leboutte, who led Y2K efforts for Eurocontrol, which coordinates the region's air traffic control. And if air traffic control or airports in one country suffer a major failure? "The worst case scenario is rather simple. You just close the air space and circumnavigate,'' Leboutte said from Belgium. His main concern is not Jan. 1, a Saturday, or Jan. 2, however. "I'm am really not afraid of the millennium rollover as such,'' said Leboutte. "I am more afraid about the situation on the Monday morning,'' when the normal traffic load resumes and a serious Y2K problem could back up planes in the air.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 04, 1999

Answers

Maybe they finally ran out of other things to report... See my post above yours on the Mercury News.

Take advantage of the sunny day folks, if you have any $$ or any items left to buy

-- Nancy (wellsnl@hotmail.com), December 04, 1999.

http://www2.marketwatch.com/quotes/multiquote.asp?source=htx% 2Fhttp2_mw&format=fractions&TICKER=t+jnj+mrk+gmt+unp+usfc+gm+one+tyc&t ables=table&slug=squote

-- mn (a@b.b), December 05, 1999.

Roland,

Thanks for putting that all together!

Jerry

-- Jerry B (skeptic76@erols.com), December 05, 1999.