Despite assurances that the YK2 bug will not hit, computer experts, emergency services and the military will be on standby worldwide on New Year's Eve. Even without YK2, computers have their menaces, including invasions of privacy and heightened industrial espionage. Computer viruses are another peril. Just like their human counterparts, they can be passed from machine to machine like a disease and are difficult to kill. The damage caused by hackers and viruses can run into millions of dollars and complicated security systems are incorporated into computers to try and keep them out.
Computers have also killed more jobs than their industry has created, say labour experts.
Computer jobs also demand higher qualifications and skills, a fact being drummed constantly into today's young. In some cases, says Williams, whole countries lag behind in computer technology. Computers have opened up a world of interactive games. Next up are virtual reality computers, some already available, that create very realistic interactive fantasy and adventure. This was an early example of the technology but the imagery was so good you could walk around the piece or get on the floor and look up at it.