Y2k

Y2K

In the 1990s estimator analysts began to warn that the engagement alter from 1999 to 2000 at the millennium could campaign some estimator systems to malfunction. This potential problem, which before long larn known equally the Y2K (Year 2000) bug, attracted much media attending as well as a proficient bargain of conspiracy speculation.

Many estimator operating systems designed inwards the 1970s as well as 1980s had an internal engagement clock that solely used 2 digits, as well as so could solely locomote equally far equally 1999. Industry analysts feared that some computers would non recognize the twelvemonth amongst the rollover from 1999 to 2000, as well as would either attain errors (mistakenly assuming the engagement to endure 1900), or would near downwards altogether.

The Y2K “bug” was hence non a estimator virus equally such, merely a blueprint flaw that hadn’t been anticipated inwards the early on years of software development. Governments as well as businesses some the Blue Planet spent huge sums of coin inwards the years leading upwardly to the millennium ensuring that their estimator systems would endure Y2K-compliant; it is estimated that the U.S. authorities spent $8.5 billion, as well as U.S. concern some $100 billion.


Conspiracy theories took 1 of 2 original forms. On the 1 hand, many on the religious far correct who were already concerned almost the apocalyptic connotations of the millennium warned that the global meltdown of estimator systems caused past times the Y2K põrnikas would final result inwards civil mayhem, inwards plow provoking the U.S. authorities to declare martial law, as well as for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to initiate rumored plans for a consummate erosion of citizen rights amongst the imposition of the socalled New World Order.

One posting to the Internet newsgroup alt.conspiracy inwards 1997, for example, warned, “In the twelvemonth 2000, the U.S.A. of America Government, NATO as well as its nation of war machine volition cease to exist, equally volition most of the organized economy, when all of the needed mainframe computers (and a proficient many others inwards consequence) larn useless.”

The author went on to predict that “a 3rd to 2 thirds of the population of Europe as well as the U.S.A. of America volition larn out of thirst, starvation as well as disease, anarchy as well as crime” (Wilson).

These fearful scenarios tapped into the existing apocalyptic, survivalist mentality, as well as a little merely committed divulge of Americans stock-piled nutrient as well as took to their basements or their cabins inwards the woods inwards the run-up to the twelvemonth 2000.

The other shape that conspiracy theories took was a cynical—some mightiness tell clear-sighted—dismissal of the Y2K occupation equally a panic promoted past times the estimator manufacture (and whipped upwardly past times the media as well as a compliant government) inwards society to fool everyone into spending a fortune on unnecessary technical fixes. This theory was circulated a proficient bargain on the Internet, merely was solely held past times a minority.

However, many to a greater extent than people began to inquiry the scale of the reported occupation as well as the terms of fixing it, as well as many urban legends as well as rumors dingy the waters farther (one mutual rumor, for example, suggested that most video recorders would non recognize the engagement change, merely would piece of work properly if laid to 1972, a twelvemonth that corresponded inwards day/date to 2000, a fact that the manufacturers were obviously deliberately keeping quiet; unfortunately, the alarm almost the malfunction, the proposed quick fix, as well as the hint of a conspiracy of quiet past times the manufacturers were all off the mark).

According to an persuasion poll reported inwards the Wall Street Journal on seven September 1999, most Americans did non believe that the Y2K põrnikas was deliberately created (as some of the far correct claimed), merely some fifteen per centum of Americans believed that “a someone and/or companionship is hiding the solution to the Y2K bug.” For those belongings this belief, sixty per centum named Microsoft equally the guilty party, piece most of the residuum blamed the government.

In the end, of course, really trivial happened at the millennium. Some power-generating companies inwards the United States, for example, reported that their estimator systems had briefly malfunctioned, merely as well as then the engagement was apace reset as well as the systems were restored; as well as at that topographic point were other minor, temporary glitches (for instance, some slot machines at a Delaware race rail near down, merely the occupation was apace fixed [CNN]).

It became apparent really before long that at that topographic point was to endure no global estimator systems crash, although some commentators—in the tradition of endlessly deferred millennial warnings—pointed out that the occupation would non kicking inwards until the provide to piece of work subsequently the long banking concern holiday, as well as and then that the truthful millennium would non laid about until 2001.

Although the showtime grouping of conspiracy theorists outlined inwards a higher house had trivial to tell inwards the wake of the nonevents of 1 Jan 2000, some of the minute grouping continued to inquiry whether the threat had been unnecessarily exaggerated. The estimator manufacture as well as the U.S. government, however, insisted that disaster had been avoided solely because the vast sums of coin had been good spent on curing the occupation inwards advance.

As the sociologist Anthony Giddens has argued, inwards issuing warnings almost potential disaster scenarios (the AIDS epidemic as well as mad moo-cow affliction are the obvious examples) the authorities are inwards a no-win situation: either they downplay the potential danger, merely as well as then if something bad does laissez passer on they volition endure defendant of a cover-up; or they give total acceptance to the scientific predictions, but, because people alter their behaviour accordingly as well as the disaster is averted, they are vulnerable to accusations that the occupation was deliberately exaggerated inwards the showtime place.