The Year 2000 Problem

The so called Year 2000 Problem arose out of the hardware and software practice of omitting the first two digits when storing the "year part" of a date. That is, "1985" would be stored as "85", the "19" being assumed. In the year 2000, this practice could result in two sorts of errors.

• Representation - The date "January 1, 2000" would appear on a computer terminal, or be printed, as "January 1, 1900."
• Comparison - The date "January 1, 2000" would appear in computations as having occurred before the date "January 2, 1900."

Whether these errors are critical or just annoying will depend upon the circumstances in which they occur.

This page is intended to provide some starting points for individual assessments of Year 2000 issues that may have to be faced. Indeed, the first step in the resolution of potential Year 2000 problems should be an individual assessment of hardware and software that might be sources of concern. Campus Computing stands ready to assist you in this effort. Please call the Technology Support Center at 6034 to schedule a consultation visit with Campus Computing personnel.  The Internet is replete with information about the Year 2000 problem.  For the curious seeking a more in depth understanding of the Year 2000 problem,click for a list of helpful links.

Links for desktop computer users at UM - St. Louis.

10-27-99 Memo regarding Y2K compliance assistance

Information regarding UMSL-SERVER1 and THOR (lab and classroom server) software Y2K compliance

Visit the University of Missouri-Columbia Year 2000 Page

This page created and maintained by Tom Schaefer tom@umsl.edu and Jason Loewen jason@umsl.edu.

Last updated 10/27/1999.