Mary and all,

Y2K is slang for the Year 2000 problem.  It refers to the fact that many of
the main-frame computers built and installed before the late 1980's only had
two digits allowed for the year in the date.  Long ago many main frame
computers did not have as much memory as the computer on your desk or even
the calculator in your pocket.  With very little memory, it seemed a waste
of space to use 4 digits to name the year.  The problem happens on the day
after December 31, 1999.  If you use 4 digits to name the year it would look
like 01/01/2000, if you only use two digits it looks like 01/01/00.  The
computer only knows what you program it to do and knows nothing about the
century changing so when it sees 01/01/00 it assumes it is January 1, 1900.

Many of the programs that these big computers run on depend on dates and as
far as the computer is concerned, most of us were not even born on 01/01/00.
It would seem a good idea then just to change the date code in the software.
Unfortunately, most of these computers had special software written for just
one or two computers decades ago and no one knows where the translation key
for the software is anymore.  So if you had a delivery of say, milk to a
Similac factory scheduled for January 15, 2000, the computer might think it
had been delivered on January 15, 1900, or that it had another 100 years to
make the deadline, depending on the software.

Fortunately, business has known about this problem for about 10 years now
and most systems are getting fixed (new software written.)  Most computers
built after the mid 1980's have a four digit date and will not have this
problem.

Linda Pohl, IBCLC
Phoenix AZ
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(BC - that is before children, I was a control systems engineer for
Honeywell.)  I remember installing a 10M hard drive at Arizona State
University, it was the size of two-two drawer file cabinets side by side and
was state of the art circa 1983.  If you buy a hard drive today for the
computer on your desk it will hold 4.3G and is about the size of 3 slices of
bread and holds 430 times as much information.

-----Original Message-----
From:   Lactation Information and Discussion
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mary A. Banaszewski
Sent:   Friday, October 09, 1998 8:32 AM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Y2K and Test results

What is "the Y2K problem"? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I've
trully never heard of it.

TODAY IS THE DAY! Results of the certification exam go into the mail today.
Anxiously awaiting mine.
Mary A. Banaszewski RN, Lactation Specialist
Hastings, MN
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