Did any countries revert to computing dates 1996 or 1972?

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I heard an unsubstantiated report that Italy, for one, reverted to a computing date of 1996 to circumvent the Y2K rollover issue. Is there any truth to this, and is there evidence other countries or corporations resolved the issue by rolling back to 1996 or 1972?

-- Sue Jackson (susanajackson@hotmail.com), January 04, 2000

Answers

Good question, Sue! Boy, would I be interested if that proved to be the case.

-- Peter Errington (petere@ricochet.net), January 04, 2000.

We had to set the date back a year on our heating and cooling system till we could get a OS upgrade and new software for it. We didnt know if OS2 was going to work right or not on our 3year old huge building. BTW the Wendys down the street from work is STILL giving reciepts dated in 1998. They must have written a conversion program and are still using it , this started last year sometime.

-- jeff (jeff@work.slave), January 04, 2000.

The City of Little Rock, Arkansas included a Y2K update with the December water bill mail outs. It indicated that all City Services were compliant, except the traffic light system in downtown Little Rock. They announced their intention to set the system to 1972. Yesterday, there was a truck with a cherry picker working on at least one traffic light in downtown, the one at the intersection where I work. However, there didn't seem to be any major traffic jams that aren't part of the normal business day congestion.

-- Lisa (lisadawn@yahoo.com), January 04, 2000.

Hanford nuclear plant had to set the system
clocks to 1972 to become "Y2K Ready"

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), January 04, 2000.

of course they did how do you think every thing came off so smooooth.Just wait till there time runs out and the people that have fixed it have left the job and every thing goes haywire

-- Benn (Benn@guess.com), January 04, 2000.


Five provincial jails prepare for Y2K by rolling back the clock

NANAIMO, B.C. (CP) -- Five provincial jails plan to roll back the clock to prepare for Y2K. The Fraser, Prince George and Kamloops Regional Correctional Centres, along with the Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women and Surrey pre-trial centre are waiting for regularly scheduled computer upgrades. That will make the systems that control doors Year 2000 compliant, but it hasn't been done yet so the computer clocks are being rolled back. The year 1972 matches 2000 for the sequence of dates each month. Corrections branch spokesman Sheldon Green said the low-tech band-aid makes more sense financially. The move is also considered Y2K acceptable and is being used in other parts of the world in similar situations, said Green. But Green also said if there are any problems with computer equipment, prison staff can use manual overrides.

-- Vern (bacon17@ibm.net), January 05, 2000.


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