Y2K is one of those stories we look back on and think what a silly old load of nonsense. Truth is, if it wasn’t for the countless hours of overtime people put in to making those outdated systems support the date change, it really would have been utter carnage. You saw how crazy things got when we started to run low on toilet paper for a few weeks.
Its the same issue with efficient epidemic policies; they might be restrictive at times, but when they succeed, then there are always some people who say all was overblown and needlesly restrictive and so on.
At a SQL conference, I met a bunch of engineers who were part of the Y2K fix for their companies. They spent 1998 hustling for equipment and setting it up in 1999. Almost all of them were “optimistic” that they’d be fine by September.
But during the rollover, they all said they all did pray to the computer gods.
Y2K is one of those stories we look back on and think what a silly old load of nonsense. Truth is, if it wasn’t for the countless hours of overtime people put in to making those outdated systems support the date change, it really would have been utter carnage. You saw how crazy things got when we started to run low on toilet paper for a few weeks.
My dad was one of those working overtime, I remember he was so tired that Christmas.
Annoys me nowadays when I see people say stuff like… All that panic and no problems at all!
There were no problems because people worked really hard for no problems, Kevin!
Its the same issue with efficient epidemic policies; they might be restrictive at times, but when they succeed, then there are always some people who say all was overblown and needlesly restrictive and so on.
“If you’re doing it right, people won’t be sure if you did anything at all”
At a SQL conference, I met a bunch of engineers who were part of the Y2K fix for their companies. They spent 1998 hustling for equipment and setting it up in 1999. Almost all of them were “optimistic” that they’d be fine by September.
But during the rollover, they all said they all did pray to the computer gods.
Yup, covid taught us one thing, when stocking up, prioritize toilet paper first. ;)
And that’s how shortages happen
And all the unsung heroes who fixed it on Linux, but without the media coverage