Re: The Great Year-2000 Hoax!

In article <540734$f3t@raven.cc.ukans.edu>, mbovee@ukans.edu writes >[thanks to all respondents to my Y2K queries - any other comments, >points of view, or examples would be welcome] > >Thank you for your comments on Y2K. It is refreshing to read another >viewpoint after slogging through repeated foretellings of doom. As one >of the Joe Publics, but with some limited database and computing >experience, I still wonder if this all boils down to several major >points: > >1) There are many simple fixes to most existant programs that do not >already accomodate the change in century, Most fixes are simple, a few may be complex due to the way the application works. >2) The issue is, perhaps, not whether it is easy to deal with such a >change, but how much time and resource will have to be devoted to >finding and changing any existing programming lines that do not allow >for correct handling of the new century, Correct. >3) Further, there are claimed to be many, many "legacy" systems (I >take that to imply that they are "older", possibly not standardized, >and possibly not documented) that will require either both in-depth >review and reprogramming, or replacement, Correct. Let's face it very few people pay to have the system fully documented and then pay to update the documentation everytime someone changes some code. >4) The potential magnitude of reviewing all the above and effecting >the necessary reprogramming is what all the hubbub is about. Even if >it is just "turning the crank," turning it a million times can take a >while. Finding every place that you need to turn it adds to that. >Deciphering whether or not you are at the right place, or need to turn >the crank, adds even more time. > Correct....you've got it... >Certainly, if the reality of the situation is far less of a problem >than it is being made out to be, I would like to be able to include >some documentation or mention of this in my white paper. I am just >trying to get an accurate idea of whether or not the change to the >next century will have an impact on all databases and their management >systems, which ones will/will not be affected and why/how, and what >the solutions are believed to be (if any, or if needed). Feel free to >straighten me out regarding my impressions regarding this issue, or >any naivete in my assumptions - please. > Depends on the sepcific database software in use. >Matt Bovee >University of Kansas >mbovee@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu (or - mbovee@ukans.edu) > > >info@sundialservices.com (Sundial Services) wrote: -- David Williams