Untold Dangers Of The Year 2000 Bug

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By Jesse Berst, Editorial Director, ZDNet AnchorDesk

You hear about a fire in a distant locale. You're sorry for the citizens, but you're not too concerned. Now suppose you find out the fire is headed straight for your neighborhood.

Are you worried now?

The millennium computer bug is headed your way, whether you realize it or not. Start worrying.

The Year 2000 (Y2K) glitch comes into play because many older software programs cannot recognize dates past 1999. Click for full story.

It doesn't sound that frightening at first. Until you discover some of the ways it could affect you directly:

•You're stranded by failed transportation systems, from computer-assisted airplanes to rapid transit to electronically controlled elevators.

•Your credit card is refused as has already happened to some consumers with expiration dates after the turn of the century.

•You're forced by the government to prove you've solved the bug. Click for full story. •Essential government services break down. After all, most agencies lack the funds to reprogram their systems.

•The entire computer industry experiences a devastating slowdown, leading to a recession in the rest of the economy.

Given that the high-tech sector drives the rest of the economy, this last scenario is not as far-fetched as you might think. Managers in the U.S. and Europe are already holding back on new purchases to spend their time and effort on Y2K instead. What's more, lawsuits have already been filed accusing software companies of damaging customers because their software can't recognize the year 2000. Lloyd’s of London estimates total Y2K litigation costs could top $1 trillion. Others say it will be closer to $1.5 trillion -- roughly the size of the federal budget. Click for full story.

Are we going to be bogged down in the Y2K morass for the next two years? It's starting to look that way. To discuss the issue with other AnchorDesk readers, jump over to my Berst Alerts Forum. To report your thoughts on the issue, hit the TalkBack button at the bottom.

But whatever you do, start worrying. Visit the resources and links in the sidebar. The millenium bug may have started as a small fire far away. But it is turning into a major blaze that is headed straight for us.