For many computer programs, that is our real drop dead date. War stories are reported regularly on the Internet. But there are also sobering examples. Products from drugs to corned beef are being rejected because their expiration dates make them appear to be 90-some years out of date. Stories of impending disaster are much worse.
Experts warn of lost productivity, astronomical costs, business failures and possibly recession.
The Year 2000 seems like a simple problem and some people are discounting the warning as media-induced hysteria. But this simple problem has complex ramifications, primarily because of the sheer volume of programming changes required and the interdependence of the computer programs and systems. Like every other government and business, we have to pay the price for a project that mostly will just keep us in business, without adding new value. This has to be done, at the expense of all the worthy projects and programs you would rather spend money on - projects that would visibly benefit your constituents. I am not a technology expert, but working with experts involved in the major computer systems my Office manages has raised my consciousness.