The year 2000
issue is a general term that really refers to three separate
date-related computing issues, each of which can potentially produce
misinterpretations or miscalculations.
- The first issue is related to the way computer hardware and
software traditionally stored date information. Historically,
programmers specified a year using two digits (99) rather than
four digits (1999). By assuming the first two digits of the year,
precious memory and storage of a computer was saved.
This
was an economical shortcut for programmers that made good sense
twenty-five years ago, but stopped making sense as we approached a
new century. Though programming practices have changed in recent
years, some computer hardware and software may still have
difficulty interpreting the year after the turn of the century.
And if the computer system stores or works with an unintended
date, any calculations or information based on that date could
lead to incorrect results.
Another contributing factor to
this issue is the everyday practice of people to use only two
digits to specify a year. Though each of us is accustomed to using
two-digit
shortcuts for the year, this practice forces the
software to interpret the century that was intended. An
interpretation of the century is simply not as reliable as a
clearly specified four-digit
year! |
