College preps for possible Y2K problems

Come Jan. 1, 2000, computer users world-wide may face unprecedented computer failure. Technology whizzes have prophesied that the impending Year Two Thousand - or Y2K - bug may affect an immense breadth of electronic equipment, including government and Internal Revenue Service computers, as well as VCRs, automobiles, elevators and innumerable other appliances.

The problem lies in the construction of older computer chips. In an era in which memory was limited and expensive, computer clocks were often only assigned two digits to indicate the date. Computer manufacturers now believe that chips may malfunction when the clock reaches 2000. Because there are only two digits, they will reset themselves to 00, or 1900, effectively destroying themselves.

The concern is that, presuming it is 1900, the computer will make improper date comparisons and will no longer be able to differentiate between 1900 and 2000. This will render unusable any computer employing a six-digit date.

Officials at Oberlin said the College is taking steps to ensure that technology will still function on campus next year. "We're hopeful that nothing will go wrong," said Ken Ervin, director of computer networking, operations and systems at the College's Center for Information Technology. Ervin's department, the CIT, is responsible for assuring that the College is prepared for the havoc that might accompany the arrival of the new millennium. Ervin said he was not sure the College would escape completely from the wrath of the Y2K bug. "Within the CIT, we are aware that the problem exists. We're working toward the goal of making the campus compliant. I don't know about the whole school. Departments are responsible for dealing with their own unique software," he said.

Students may also feel Y2K's bite. While most PC and Macintosh computers built since the mid-1990s are compliant, as is virtually all commercial software, students with older machines may experience some problems when the year 2000 arrives.

Some students, however, remain unconcerned about the impending electronic apocalypse. "I think the fear that it has instilled in so many people is similar to the reactions people have when earthquakes are predicted by maniacs. Everyone fills their garages with canned goods and bottled water expecting Armageddon, when in reality, we'll probably, at the worst, have a few days with no electricity," first-year Kimberly Cook said.

"I don't really think it will affect me so much. I don't really think about it. I don't think the world is going to end," said first-year Devon Gualtieri.

First-year Robert Caudill expressed a similar sentiment. "I'm not positively certain that it will happen. I think we're working with a lot of what-ifs. What if an elephant sat on Oberlin? What if we got a Republican president? Then the world would certainly come to an end," Caudill said.

Even computer specialists aren't taking the potentially imminent demise of the electronic network too seriously. "I think it's way more hype than there needs to be. There will be some serious problems, but I don't think it will be the end of the world. Given the status of the IRS, I would bet I won't have to pay taxes for 1999," Residential Computer Consultant senior Mathias Wegner said.

Despite the possibility that many electronic devices around the world will be incapacitated, most at Oberlin seem unconcerned. "I think we're going to be okay," Ervin said.