The Bush administration seems to be ignoring a serious problem of global dimensions. The problem, as millions of personal computer users know, is bit decay. That s the decay and disappearance of binary digits without any obvious or explicable cause, resulting in lost work and frustration. One symptom is when an application program or a function that worked flawlessly suddenly stops working. Or when the Internet service that automatically logged you on with your user name and password 10 minutes ago now insists it doesn t know you.
Bit decay knows no operating-system boundaries.
Apple bits have been known to rot just as regularly as Windows bits. Trained software specialists will insist that there is no such thing as bit decay, which confirms the suspicion that they never actually use the stuff they develop and sell. For the rest of us, the condition needs no more explanation. But with the governments of the world tied up in passing each other notes and playing hide and seek, it s up to individuals to take protective measures. If you keep all the CDs in the same stack, you might mistakenly install an older version.