Well, the issue here isn't just about how these 2k or 2038 bugs actually affect our msn or yahoo messengers lol. On a different aspect, these seemingly small bugs are troublesome in its nature and its not exactly easy to collaborate on programmers to just solve these problems together (Although the Microsoft Monopoly makes things so much easier). Lets say a stock company crosses the millenium without the adequate fixes to its systems, their programs which rely on real-time updates and a integrity date check with different time zones etc. And thus if crossing the millenium causes a buffer error onto its date integrity checks (which will definitely fail due to a hundred year difference, unless the algorithms have been made to deal with this situation). Not to mention that of all the problems it caused it actually helped with technology due to its 'forced' upgrade of computers in a widespread. Alot of systems were actually upgraded and legacy systems phased out, the y2k bug isnt as mild as you put it, we have come a long way and it helped with awareness and growth in the technological advancements back then.

Regarding the 2038 bug, its not an issue in my opinion, the foresight of 2038 was probably seen from the aspect of programming limits (not 2000 due to its nature being not anticipated). And I agree that most systems will be 64-bit by then, not to mention all 32-bits can upgrade and fix this problem easily with a different date algorithms. Vista is coming out next year, and its x64 counterpart has hit the mainstream on beta. Given the trends, i'd give another 10 years max for mainstream Pc's to be 64 bits.

 

 

 

Reply

I dont think the so called year 2038 bug should really be a threat to either standalone pcs or network workstations as the event we are discusiing about is expected to happen more than 30 years from now and hopefully by that time the technology would get so advanced(I am sure of it) to tackle the bug. Moreover there was a similar hype by the media over the y2k bug which turned out to be not a big deal.

Sure enough media people would try to hype up the issue with speculations as to what all can go wrong and potentially catastrophic aftermaths of the spread of the bug but as we know that people around the world are becoming more and more comp savvy these days so there doesnt seem much of a possibility that most people would take it seriously.

Reply

wow i'm more interested by your global warming pics, i knew it was serious but i never realised how fast everything is melting... if i see one big tidal wave off the in the distance the first thing i'm doing is grabbing my surf board! rofl, i wish it was funny matter, makes me kinda scared. not really too worked about 2038 thing, because if it's as big as an issue as 2000 was well, then i'll be talking in the forum posting something here the day after it hits 2038 and seeing everyone say what a croc it was . i dunno i don't expect anything to happen, if i hear more about it i might look into it though! keep it us updated if it does look real!

eh i have to add on to what i said a minute ago. i never understood why programs and all that wouldn't work if the date got screwed up..it's not like it's a time warp. i don't understand how anything else can happen besides there being a wrong date, i don't see how that would affect anything. i guess maybe if i understood why it could cause problems i might be worried, but really, i guess i don't know enough. i know there's more to it, but in my brain in 2038 from what i read all that could happen is the date change. i don't understand what else could go wrong from that. aaaahhhh maybe i should do some more research, er, i would if had the patience or understood half that computer/math/time calculations your link you had. it's all another language to me! har har

 

 

 

Reply

It' probably because there are still people who think global warming is "just a theory" or something like that (not understanding a true theory is the best explanation the most qualified and inelligent people on the planet can come up with for something (until it gets to the point where it's a law)) Anywho, there's almost no legitimate question in the majority of anyone in the climatology field's minds if it is happening...
[/offtopic]

I don't really understand 100% what Y2K was about (I think alot of people don't) I didn't pay alot of attention to it, but from what I understand, it was more of a matter of human's being lazy to update before that point that would have caused any issues (which is how it would be if 2038 bug was about to hit in a few weeks/days a couple years back...) technology to totally fix this through-and-through is definately there, just difficult/not fun to change the way things have been done for so long...

Reply

This is exactly the same as the Y2K bug, everyone makes a massive fuss about it. And all the companies make alot of money out of it, but nothing big is really going to happen. At worst we will all have to download a patch for our operating systems and all will be forgotten. But just before 2038 all the companies are going to start telling us how important it is to backup now and that we should go and buy there products!!!

Well thats just my opinion...

Reply

I wonder what will be out in year 2038? I think 32 bit machines will have moved on, now 64bit are getting more common with Windows Vista and Windows XP 64bit. I believe also it was hyped up by the media and nothing really happened. But what's to say it won't happen?

Well... Only time will tell on that one

Whats the next "bug"? Year 2100 bug?

Reply

no not this again. In 2002 when this was going to hapen you know that stupid 2k bug or whatever the heck that was, i blieved it kind of and i did kind of get prepared, but then nothin gh happened and i felt stupid, so in 2038 look for me not to do anything and just to satay and enjoy the New year without worrying about some stupid thing like this to happen once more becaus eit wont.!

Reply

It's can not be true, they say this just to get attention. The Y2K bug enver happened, and loads of people got crazy about that.

The programing from 1980s wasn't that bad. Can they stop doubting their own programming. Everything will be okay, so know one panic.

Reply

aaaaaaaaaaaaah panic were gonna die! everyone build bomb shelters in their basements and, when its all over, head for the twinky factory in natick! /familyguy

Reply

By the time 2038 comes arounbd computers will probably be running on a new type of system that uses Decimals or something similar to it, and Y2K was a lie, so this is probably the same, its nothing major just a bug that will be fixed in a few years most likely and why would I keep this computer that long?

Reply