I figure the worst that can happen is that my e-mail might have the wrong date on it. So for the first couple of days of the New Year, I'll simply type in the date in the subject box. End of problem. Some worry the utility companies will shut down, leaving homes without heat and lights. But utility companies, at least in Metro Detroit, have been working on the Y2K problem for years, identifying programing problems as well as date-sensitive embedded computer chips.
Tests show everything works fine.
But as a safeguard, the utility companies have cancelled all vacations at that time and will have workers ready to respond if an unknown glitch surfaces. We'll hear a lot of doom and gloom about Y2K as the New Year approaches. But hopefully the public will see through it and enjoy the New Year's celebration. Joel Smith is a Detroit News business writer who reports on high-tech and computers. Copyright 1999, Gannett News Service.