y2k stuff

From: turtle <dhansen_at_zebra.net>
Date: Tue Jan 5 21:36:50 1999

<snip everything>

Ok, so it sounds like the general consensus on this list doesn't
perceive any possible problems from systems that perform automatic
disconnection/refusal of services due to systems that are based on
time/date ranges? Here are some examples of situations that are believed
to be possible...

utilities (power/water/telephone):
Say a disconnect period is 2 consecutive months of non-payment. A
customer pays his/her bill regularly but if the date isn't interpreted
properly the next time the system does a check for 'disconnect
candidates' it will not be able to find a single payment from a single
customer within a 2 consecutive months time period prior to 01/01/00
(1900).

banks:
Keeping in mind that banks routinely deactivate and -absorb- every
account that is over x years idle (commonly 2 yrs. but every one I have
come across has some variant of this), see how the above method applies
to this situation.

vendors of perishables:
Shipments of perishable items (food/medicine) are refused by automated
systems that read the dates on the items as expired.

payroll:
Employee doesn't have any hours during the 'new' pay period so no
paycheck is issued. Also paychecks are issued with wrong dates and such.
Clients aren't billed if there isn't anything in the billing period.
etc...

security access:
I'll use my company as an example. I have full access to the office
building between the hours of 7am - 7pm M-F by way of a keycard. If the
wrong year is being calculated then M-F can easily be Sat-Wed., etc...

credit cards:
Accounts are deactived or non-existent.


I'm by no means an expert on any of these areas so I welcome responses
from anyone with facts on how these possible situations (and others) are
in error. Anyone who replies with statements like I've seen repeatedly
on this subject in the form of "you're wrong because I assume..." and/or
"...I expect...", you can flood this list with them if you wish but I
would prefer that you not.

thanks,
      david
Received on Tue Jan 05 1999 - 21:36:50 GMT