The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #104635   Message #2148654
Posted By: GUEST,Annamill
13-Sep-07 - 08:25 PM
Thread Name: BS: What do we know about 2012?
Subject: RE: BS: What do we know about 2012?
Does anyone remember in the yr. 2000 everyone was coo coo over computer failure and the world ending? Well, as a programmer we modified a lot of code (a lot..) to adjust "010100" Jan 1, 2000 to
"000101" 2000, Jan. 1. Date calculations were used by adding or subtracting dates. Before 2000, you could subtract "010198" from "010199", but just try subtracting "010100" from "010199". oops!

Now, while we can see these numbers on screen, in computers they are stored quite differently. Using binary. I have forgotten the exact representation, but I remember fellow programmers stating that all was well now that we've made these changes, but... sometime in the future we would have to worry again because the space allocated for dates "120101" would run out!! Oops again! I don't remember the year this was suppose to happen. Perhaps its 2012??? The number 2034 comes to mind also. I don't remember, sorry, but maybe this is it.

If some other person who has this knowledge could enlighten me, is this the problem being referred to in this thread?

Thank you, Annamill