/Nexus - 0505 - New Times Magazine/pages/0017/image.png)
Page Content (OCR)
AND THAT'S NOT ALL... But even more importantly, communities need to begin now to
here are additional reasons why this is a particularly difficult think about ways to mitigate these problems. All is not lost.
problem. Many business computer programs that run on the Much trouble can be averted by focused efforts now.
largest ("mainframe") computers are written in an obsolete lan- Awareness is the first issue. A recent survey of 643 individuals
guage called "COBOL". COBOL hasn't been taught for 10 years, found that 38 per cent had never heard of the Y2K problem.
so there is a distinct shortage of COBOL programmers.” Among the 400 (62 per cent) who had heard of it, 80 per cent said
Indeed, there is a shortage of all programmers to work on Y2K _ they believed it would be fixed before the year 2000 arrived. This
problems. Swiss Re (a firm that insures insurance companies contrasts with an earlier poll of technology and business execu-
against major losses) says: "A total tives charged with fixing Y2K prob-
of well over three million program- lems: only 17 per cent of them said
mers would be needed to solve the they thought the problems would be
millennium [date] problem in the US. | ...it is reasonable to conclude that fixed before the year 2000.” People
In actual fact there are only around need to be told.
two million of them at present."* portions of the nation's critical Coordinated action is the second
When computer code is rewritten, | jnfrastructure (water, electricity, issue. People need the resources to
new errors are introduced at an aver- e able to fix their own computers.”
age rate of one new error in every 14 telecommunications and Thirdly, communities need to think
eRe rewritten code. Thus even transportation) may be creatively about ways help those
-compliant" code may not worl . . who are most vulnerable: people
properly when the time comes.” disrupted for a period... who rely on social security, veterans
Therefore, we believe it is reason-
able to conclude that portions of the
nation's critical infrastructure (water,
enefits and private pensions, for
example. What will happen if their
funds are delayed? Local govern-
electricity, telecommunications and transportation) may be dis- ments, churches and civic groups could begin now to bring com-
rupted for a period; perhaps a few days, but conceivably longer. munities together to find ways to avert serious problems that
Essential government services may also be disrupted. might occur. Approached properly, Y2K could become a catalyst
We could be entirely wrong. However, we believe it is sensible for positive community growth and development in the best sense
to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. of those words.” oo
Individuals might take precautions to protect themselves and
their families. They need water, food, shelter and a cash reserve.* About the Author
They need paper records of bank accounts and insurance policies Peter Montague is Editor of Rachel's Environment & Health
in case computerised records are lost. Weekly and a member of the National Writers Union.
portions of the nation's critical
infrastructure (water, electricity,
telecommunications and
transportation) may be
disrupted for a period...
About the Author
Peter Montague is Editor of Rachel's Environment & Health
Weekly and a member of the National Writers Union.
Endnotes 10. See