There were real problem, they were fixed, and life went on. The biggest danger was always panic, especially panic fed by the media. What the media failed to realize is that while the Y2K bug had the potential to destroy individual companies, civilization was in no danger. When a bug threatens a company, the company has a great incentive to anticipate and solve it. Predictions of disaster are second only to disasters themselves as entertainment.
Rational discussion can t compete.
The Los Angeles Times did run one editorial written by a working programmer. In it, he said that there were problems, they were being solved, and that there would be no disasters. Pretty dull stuff. I m sure the media never bothered to ask his opinion again. Computer experts are no better at predicting the future than anyone else.