But many applications have lasted that long, subject to incremental changes and short-term fixes. Even newer applications have been created to work with older legacy systems, as the market has demanded backward compatibility. The situation is compounded as newer applications re-use older code, spreading the problem like a virus through a network. And, while the dilemma may have been in the minds of some Information Systems types for years, there was no pressure to act . It's the hype that's fueling the problem .
Commentators fall on both ends of the spectrum.
On one extreme, we have the doomsayers who predict the millennium bug will trigger the end of modern society. Proponents of these divergent viewpoints often institutionalize their positions with limited facts, overemphasizing criteria that reinforce their innate beliefs. Hence the hype. As is the case with most predictions, however, the reality will, in all probability, lie somewhere in between . We Don't Really Know the True Extent of the Problem Even the most informed person would have a hard time predicting the true impact of Y2K .