Editorial: Getting a handle on year 2000 bug

Thursday, May 7, 1998 | 10:47 a.m.

Computer experts are worried that when the calendar changes from Dec. 31, 1999, to Jan. 1, 2000, some computer systems will crash because they will be unable to recognize the last two digits in the year or incorrectly believe that the year is 1900. As the Sun's Richard Velotta noted in a story last week, the economic damage worldwide could hit $119 billion.

Any computer crash that could affect the delivery of phone, gas or electric service could be devastating. Imagine the chaos that would follow the interruption of these necessities. "We've heard all sorts of stories about what could happen, from systems going down to planes falling out of the sky," Public Utilities Commissioner Timothy Hay said. "What we're hoping is that this may be overblown hype."

The utilities say they are addressing the problem. But state regulators still need to dig into this issue and get a handle on it, reassuring consumers that nothing has been left to chance.

archive