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Y2K Bugs: The Year In Review?

Posted by Cliff on from the my-what-a-year-it-has-been dept.

xipho asks: "Its been almost a year since the Y2K fiasco. Is there a summary of the 'devastation' caused somewhere? Was there really any effect? What about 2001, weren't more problems predicted? Why no hype? Was this all just a good example of the potential mass hysteria that the media can seed?" It would be nice to know who was really bit by the Y2K Bug and how much impact uncorrected systems would have had on our lives if the mad rush for corrections had not been made. Would things have actually been as bad as the media predicted?

1 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Meet Peter de Jager, Now-Maligned Y2K Consultant by Rahoule · · Score: 5

    Anyone who thinks Y2K was fake and we were all tricked should read this article.

    It talks about Peter de Jager, the foremost expert on the Y2K problem. In late 1998, after the industry had finally started to move on the problem, Mr. de Jager was convinced that the disaster would be averted. However, the media continued to proclaim doom and gloom, and anti-computer Luddites everywhere continued to stock up on supplies.

    When the lights stayed on at the stroke of midnight, Mr. de Jager was suddenly considered a snake-oil seller and even received death-threats.

    Y2K was beaten, well before Jan. 1, 2000, but the media had us believing otherwise.