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Y2K Rollover - Post Your Experiences Here!
fredm8 writes "Since the Slashdot article, When Does Y2K Begin, New Zealand has experienced the Y2K rollover. Yes the power still works, the water still flows, my Windows98 PC still runs, my Linux box rocks, and my supported *nix boxes still run." We're getting lots of stories like this one submitted. We might as well have them all in one place, so please post yours below instead of sending it in as a story submission. This thread ought to make an interesting chronicle of Y2K events -- or non-events, as the case may be.
I drive and engineer race cars in my spare time, so I figure I'd share some observations with you before you start wandering in the desert:
.50 cal - dirt simple, highly reliable, easy to maintain, and ammo is simple to fabricate.
:)
- The Car: The 'Cuda is a good choice as far as technology goes - no EMP-sensitive ECU to blow out in case of a nearby nuke, and all the engine sytems are mechanical. This means you have wear issues to worry about (on things like ignition points) but it's a whole lot easier to fabricate a set of points in a high school metal shop that it is to fab a transistorized ignition.
However, your fuel system needs some thought. At roughly 7 lbs/gal, your fuel tanks will mass 770 lbs when full. And then a trunk full of concrete (huh?) is probably on the order of 500lbs - for a total weight addition of 1320 lbs.
Now a 'Cuda is probably 3700 lbs, and has a weight distribution of 60/40 - so that means roughly 1480 lbs over the rear wheels. All your new mass is right over the rear end, so now you've got 2800 lbs over the rear end.
This changes your weight distribution to 44/56.
Now to handle the extra weight, you welded the rear suspension solid. Yow! With a rear-weight bias and a solid rear suspension, this is going to be one EVIL handling car. It's going to be undrivable loose - the back end in going to keep trying to pass the front end.
But before you even get to that point, you're going to have to locate a set of rear tires with a load capacity of 1400 lbs each - nearly 3 times higher than the rating on the stock tires. Good luck!
And then there's the questionable wisdom of placing large, fixed masses directly _behind_ the driver. The first big impact is probably going to tear those tanks and that concrete block loose from their mountings, and you'll be crushed against the engine block. Ouch!
No, the well-equipped post-apocolyptic car gang member is going to be driving a diesel AM General Hummer:
- Diesel engines will run on damn near anything that will burn. In theory, you could filter the grease pit behind your local Burger King and run on the used cooking oil. And there's no ignition system to fail either.
- The Hummer is rated to carry large loads. In fact, you've got enough capacity for 3 of those drums, plus a barrel of engine oil too.
- Many Hummers, if sourced creatively, come already equipped with weaponry of various sorts. I, personally, would recommend a Browning
Although it's hard to pass up on the TOW-2 pintle mount version.
- The Hummer has lots of ground clearence - good for climbing over spurious obstacles.
Good luck!
I have now seen a few instances of the "19100" bug, sometimes as the 100 bug - 2000 gets displayed as either 100 or 19100. Several people have commented on this, but missed a crucial point. So i thought i'd explain this bug some.
The 19100 bug comes from improper use of the header in the C standard library. It is much more common in Perl than C, but much more disappointing in C.
To learn about this, get out your battered copy of K&R (you DO have K&R, don't you? _The C Programming Language_, by Kernigan and Richie. If you only have one book on C, it should be this one). Turn to the reference in the appendix. Look at the description of struct tm. You'll see that tm->tm_year is the years *since 1900*. So, to print years correctly, in either two-digit or four-digit form, we must add 1900 to tm->tm_year.
Here's where naive, amateurish C programmers mess up. They do not learn their standard libraries, and thus reinvent them poorly. The strftime() function provides printf()-style formatting for struct tm. It will print the year correctly in either two-digit or four-digit form. Programmers who don't know their libraries just stick tm_year in a printf() somewhere, without accounting for the missing 1900, something like this:
printf("19%d", tm->tm_year);
which will print 1999, then 19100. The libraries are very good (with the glaring exception of some security holes!). Learn them and use them.
Perl is where this bug comes into its own. For various reasons either obvious or opaque to you, strftime() does not exist in Perl. And the contents of struct tm are handed back from ctime() as an array. Therefore, more programmers are likely to not look deep enough to see how this SHOULD be handled, and do the 19100 bug, since they don't have a nice built-in library routine to do it for them.
This is a tremendous problem. When doing Y2K checking for a previous job, i found this bug in over 150 Perl scripts, mostly due to cut-and-paste programming (Perl unfortunately encourages that approach). I also found it in the popular wwwboard online discussion script. I'll bet it's all over the place.
Hopefully, someone finds this informative, and maybe moderates it up so it actually gets READ.
---
120
chars is barely sufficient
Hand me that airplane glue and I'll tell you another story.
Coming up 3am and doubtless a few other countries now have had midnight come and go without the world collapsing in a chaotic heap of doom. Come 2000/01/01 12:00:01 the power was still on, TV still broadcasting (although after a few minutes of the moron they had doing the presentation I was starting to wish the TVNZ studios would have a localised Y2K power problem), just checked and water is still flowing from the taps (I don't need to go wee-wee or poo-poo just now so I'll take it on faith that the sewage system is still working). My main Linux box is running and knows what time it is, Internet connectivity is fine, ssh'ed to work and all the servers are up and know what time it is, the work web site is happy as Larry etc. Haven't turned on the other PC or the Amiga yet. Will be interesting to see what the SparcStation 2 running non-Y2K-compliant SunOS 4.1.3 does when I try booting it up...
:-)
Oh, in other news, I might've been on track for the first road accident of the new millenium when I found myself going sideways on a *very* slippery corner on a wet and windy road coming home a couple of hours ago. Managed to straighten up safely though, would have been heaps of fun if I'd done it deliberately
according to
this story on News.com, Startrek- voyeger's web site claims that the next episode will be aired.. 99 years and 364 days ago.
check it out here.
(and it's running a ASP script... why isn't this suprising?)
--------------------------------
It's to do with the second digit of the year changing, not the first. It would only have been a millennium bug if programmers had used the last three digits to represent the year!
11.0010010000111111011010101000100010000101101000
When does the Millennium Begin?
..., and you begin the first millennium with the year 0 CE
...) was originally designed by
..., 100, ..., 500, ... Then we can say that the period from 1 A.D. ..., 10). Similarly from 1 A.D. through 100
..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 ... This is called the "astronomical" ...).
..., -2, -1, 0, 1, 2,
The answer is if you use the Gregorian Calendar and start the first
millennium with the year 1 AD then the third millennium begins with the year
2001 AD. But if you use the Common Era Calendar, in which years are numbered
-2, -1, 0, 1, 2,
then the third millennium begins with the year 2000 CE. You have a choice. And
if you opt for the Common Era Calendar you no longer have to put up with the
smug assertion that "there was no year zero (so the new millennium begins in
2001)". There was no year zero when Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian
Calendar in the 16th Century but there certainly is one now, and the new
millennium in the Common Era Calendar begins in 2000 CE.
The number zero was introduced into westerm circles, along with the
Arabic numerals we use to day, in the 13th century, but the church refused to
allow them to be used, simply on the grounds that they were invented by Muslims.
However, zero and the numbering system we use today did eventually make it into
acceptance by the 16th century, and greatly simplified mathematics in Europe.
We can't really blame the church for 2000/2001 issue, because the current year
numbering system that we used (2 BC, 1 BC, 1 AD,
a monk in either the 7th or 8th century, before we even heard of the Arabic
numbering system or zero.
Roman numerals do not have a figure designating zero, and treating zero
as a number on an equal footing with other numbers was not common in the 6th
century when our present year reckoning was established by Dionysius Exiguus.
Dionysius let the year AD 1 start one week after what he believed to be Jesus'
birthday. Therefore, AD 1 follows immediately after 1 BC with no intervening
year zero. So a person who was born in 10 BC and died in AD 10, would have died
at the age of 19, not 20. Furthermore, Dionysius' calculations were wrong. The
Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus was born under the reign of King Herod the
Great, and he died in 4 BC. It is likely that Jesus was actually born around 7
BC. The date of his birth is unknown; it may or may not be 25 December.
Since the "Anno Domini" system did not come into effect until the 6th
Century A.D. it is artificial to speak of the years 1 A.D., 100 A.D., etc.,
because people living at that time knew nothing of this system of numbering
years (since it had not then been invented yet). Furthermore the Romans in the
reign of Augustus (27 B.C. to 14 A.D.) were somewhat lax in the proper
observance of leap years. But we can project backwards (and forwards) from 525
A.D. by representing the succession of years by the series of natural numbers:
1, 2, 3,
through 10 A.D. (including both years) was a period of ten years (since there
are ten numbers in the series 1, 2,
A.D. is a period of 100 years, and from 1 A.D. to 1000 A.D. is a period of 1000
years.
The word "millennium" means "a period of 1000 years" so we can conclude
that the period from 1 A.D. through 1000 A.D. (including both years) constituted
one millennium, and in fact, the first millennium of the Christian era. So the
second millennium of the Christian era begins with the year 1001 A.D., or more
exactly, on 1st January 1001 A.D. And the third millennium of the Christian era
begins on 1st January 2001 A.D. So for Christians - or at least, for all who
adhere to the Christian system of numbering years - the answer is clear: The new
millennium begins on 1st January 2001 A.D. However, this is not the end of the
matter, because the "Anno Domini" system of year numbering has a major flaw,
namely, it may be OK for years since 1 A.D., but what happens when we consider
earlier years? As is well known, such years are numbered in reverse order, and
designated as years "Before Christ". Thus the year immediately before 1 A.D. is
designated 1 B.C., and the series extends backwards: 2 B.C., 3 B.C., etc.
With the rise of modern scholarship, particularly astronomy, archaeology
and chronological studies, this system was felt to be inadequate for scientific
purposes. For one thing it does not lend itself to calculation using dates. For
example (a very simple one), how many years elapsed between 1st January 6 B.C.
and 1st January 6 A.D.? Twelve years? No. The answer is not obvious (and still
less obvious if we consider longer periods such as that from 535 B.C. to 481
A.D.). So astronomers and chronologists decided to number years by representing
the succession of years by the doubly-infinite series of positive and negative
numbers:
system of numbering years. In this system years from 1 onwards have the same
numbers as years A.D. (year 1 = 1 A.D., and so on), but years B.C. are related
as follows: The year 0 in the astronomical system is the year 1 B.C., and the
year -n in the astronomical system is the year n+1 B.C. (for n = 1, 2, 3,
Conversely, the year n B.C. is the year -(n-1) in the astronomical system. Thus
year -1 = 2 B.C., year -2 = 3 B.C., and so on.
A millennium is, by definition, a period of 1000 years. But it is no
part of the definition that a millennium must begin or end with a particular
year number. If we adopt the astronomical year numbering system then we can
begin the "first" millennium with year 0 just as well as with year 1. Strictly
speaking, there is no first millennium in the astronomical system, since it
simply numbers years by mapping them onto the sequence
..., and we are free to begin millennia where we think fit. It is thus clear
that the answer to the question as to when the new millennium begins depends on
which system of year-numbering one chooses to use. Christians may prefer to stay
with the system of years "Anno Domini", in which case they must answer that the
new millennium begins on 1st January 2001 A.D. Scientists and others who prefer
a more rational and useful system of numbering years may prefer to adopt
explicitly the astronomical system. In this case they are free to begin
millennia from the years 1, 1001, 2001, and so on (in which case the third
millennium begins on 1st January 2001), or from the years 0, 1000, 2000, and so
on (in which case the third millennium begins on 1st January 2000). Thus anyone
who wishes, for whatever reason, to celebrate the start of the new millennium on
1st January 2000 has entirely good and rational grounds for doing so, namely,
(i) the adoption of the astronomical system for numbering years, combined with
(ii) the convention of beginning millennia with years whose numbers end in "000"
(and beginning centuries with years whose numbers end in "00"). Note that this
article does not show that those who hold (as those who adhere to the Christian
calendar must hold) that the new millennium begins on 1st January 2001 are
mistaken. Such people have reasons to justify their preference. But this does
show that anyone who prefers to think of the year 2000 as the first year of the
new millennium has perfectly sound reasons for doing so.
I plagorized the SHIT out of this from postings on slashdot and on the internet... no offense to anyone.
http://www.swissinfo.net/cgi/worldtime/clock.pl?Au ckland,New=Zealand
Current time in Auckland, New Zealand is: Saturday, January 1, 19100 - 00:34:31
I dont think many people anticipated the 19100 problem, heheh.
-- iCEBaLM
So my old sparc is just a few years behind.... but what a timezone offset. Well, its not sunos's fault, its that damn copy of elm compiled back in 1996. I am wondering about the old copy of innd which could have a few of these kinds of problems as well. Is it too late to start y2k fixes? If it is, I'll be heading down to the local pub to have a brew to two...
Everyone have a happy 19100!
Just talking about general Y2K readiness, it was amusing to watch on TV how people living in cities behaved, with stocking up on water, toilet paper and batteries on the 31st. I'm in a rural community where we can get by without technology anyhow - our water supply is rainwater collected from the roof into a 20,000 litre tank and even without electricity all we need is a siphon hose
Anyhow, on general Y2K readiness it's been amusing since I used to work for a company that made the point-of-sale systems for the local oil companies. 20 years ago, most of the staff could deal with not having power at all, manually pumping the stuff using hand cranks. 10 years ago after we had computerised everything, that knowledge of how to operate had basically vanished. It's amazing how quickly people forgot how to operate in a manual world.
This morning a phone call woke me up. It was a telemarketer. I gave her about 5 words before I tolder her "I don't need credit card protection, thank you, bye".
Also, my waffles were burned today. So I think my toaster may not be y2k compliant.
A few horsemen and guys with trumpets showed up at my door asking directions to New York. Man, I hope they're not late for their party.
Jazilla.org - the Java Mozilla
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
Well, obviously they're just trying to get the computer to accept "plague of locusts" and "rain of frogs" as weather conditions.
Or maybe their forecast is exactly right... hmm...
--
Win dain a lotica, en vai tu ri silota
My system seems to be suffering from the Y2k bug. It's 3:58am and my monitor is all blurry. My keyboard is broken too. The keys seem to be swimming around and trying to escape my fingers.
On the brighter side, my girlfriend is looking even cuter than usual.
-- That which does not kill us has made its last mistake.
Has anyone noticed that the "Y2K Experiences" posted here necessarily come from people who:
1) Have electricity
2) Have an OS that still works
3) Have a browser that still works, and
4) Have an ISP that still works
With this sort of sampling bias, we really shouldn't be expecting too many "horror" stories... Most will be "yeah, my stuff still works, which is why I can post this..."
:) awaiting "Smartass" moderation...
I think the biggest Y2K problem will be quick changes that are not thought through.
"Well, well, well. Less than twenty-four hours 'til Ragnarok and I haven't a stitch to wear."
Billions of people around the globe are thinking this very thought. Don't be part of the mass of cannon fodder awaiting their fate on January 1st. I'd like to help others survive and prosper after the Y2K "situation" by describing the preparations I've made over the past year for tonight's Big Event.
1. The Car
Nothing says "I'm a survivor!" like a cool set of wheels, which is why I have a 1971 Plymouth HemiCuda with a 426ci/425hp V8.
I took out the rear window and rear seats, and welded in two 55-gallon drums as reserve fuel tanks.
I filled the trunk with cement so I could ram other vehicles in reverse during "Road Warrior"-type scenarios.
Due to the weight of the cement in the trunk, I had to replace the rear shocks with solid steel bars, so the suspension is pretty stiff, but boy does it have some range!
I've mounted a 20mm cannon (originally from a AH-1 Cobra helicopter) - that I bought on eBay for $35K - to the roof of the car so it faces forward.
It fires when the left turn signal is activated.
I use a Xybernaut wearable PC for aiming, and I adapted the anti-wobble feature of my camcorder to stabilize the cannon during vehicle movement and firing.
There is a radiacmeter attached to the grill, so I'll know when I'm approaching former urban areas.
I didn't have time to cut a hole in the hood to accommodate the huge intake of the supercharger attached to the engine, so I just left the hood off.
The exhaust system has been removed as a vestigial performance-hindering remnant of a civilized era.
2. The Duds
I have a fire-resistant Nomex jumpsuit dyed to match desert terrain, as all terrain will soon be desert terrain.
For formal occasions, black leather chaps are acceptable, but the buttless kind will make you the laughing-stock of Bartertown.
Accessorize with low-slung pistol holster, gas mask, and black leather jackboots.
Bandoleers are in this year, but only for survivors with crew-served weapons.
Fine-grain leather driving gloves will assist you in controlling your vehicle when driving through fallout-blighted areas.
3. Food
Pound-for-pound, dry dog food has ten times the nutritional value of boiled potatoes, and it can be stored longer, too!
Dog food for older dogs is often packed with fillers that you just don't need, but Puppy Chow is geared towards growing dogs, and has more than enough nutrition.
I'm towing a U-Haul trailer full of it, with a few cases of surplus MREs from the Gulf War for special occasions.
I hope I've provided some insight into the preparations necessary for surviving the coming hard times.
I am interested in having a traveling companion to help with driving.
Any fertile females interested in repopulating the planet should contact me at TheSurvivor@militia.mt.us
one interesting thing after a
[t/v] [client.oz.org] 946646223 0 saturday january 1 19100 -- 00:17 -37:00
whoops!
OH MY GOD
Everything is burning, my servers are all crashed and there are thousands of the undead on my door step. The HORROR the HORROR of it all. Please God save me from this world. There is massive amounts of radation leaking in though the vents, and the smell of Death is all around me. Most of my fellow brothers are dead, and those still living are praying and begging for the sweet grip of death to choke out their last breaths. Please death save me from this. Pleaes death, take it all away. The End is Here
Oh, wait. Dam, sorry false alarm. I forgot I am in Central time zone and it is only 8:02AM on Dec 31/99 still. Sorry my bad. I still got 15-16 hours left.
I will keep your posted.
"`Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.'" -THHGTTG