Sorry, no specifics there
I did indeed read that link. Let's look at what it actually says:
Left unchecked, the Year 2000 problem -- called Y2K, for short -- could be catastrophic for the chemical process industries (CPI). The date glitch could cause innumerable shutdowns and horrific accidents. Indeed, a manufacturer's process-control system could be stymied by "00" and shut down altogether on New Year's Eve.
Gee, three coulds in as many sentences. This pretty much sums up the lack of specifics I was referring to. Now, as for that smelter, let's look at the whole quote:
That's exactly what happened last year to a smelter in South Island, New Zealand. The system was stumped because programmers had failed to take into account that 1996 was a leap year, with 366 days.
Gosh, had nothing to do with Y2K at all once you complete the quote, does it? Moreover, there are no details given as to exactly how severe this problem was or how difficult it was to repair. Did the smelter blow up? Shut down? What was the economic impact of this incident? No details. No specifics. Just innuendo.
What's the real thrust of the article? Here's the quote that reveals: It's only too easy to imagine the shutdowns, accidents and explosions that the date glitch could cause in IT systems throughout industry.
The point of the article is to help spread "awareness" that "bad things" may, could, might happen. There are no specifics or quantifications detailed in the article. |
