More Y2K glitches that could bug you - ways to protect yourself from the millennium sting—even if you're not a techie

Black Enterprise, Oct, 1999 by Monique R. Brown

Here are a few ways to protect yourself from the millennium sting--even if you're not a techie

HAPPY NEW YEAR! YOU PICK UP THE PHONE TO wish your mom well when you discover the phone line is dead. Then you notice your kitchen light and TV seem to be flickering; perhaps there's some kind of power trouble? No problem. You'll just step out for a bit of fresh air, but you have to take the elevator first, and that isn't working either. Now you start to get a little edgy. To make matters worse, your neighbor is grumbling because she can't get into her apartment. It seems her computer-operated security system has started playing tricks on her. Have you been dropped into The Twilight Zone? Of course not. These are just a few of the year 2000 pests that could infest your life.

By now you're probably familiar with the phrase "Y2K bug." It's the term used to describe the mayhem that could arise after the clock strikes midnight on December 31. Typically, computers have been programmed to recognize the last two digits of any given year: 1999 is recorded as 99, for example. Computer systems that haven't been properly debugged could read the year 2000 as 1900--setting digital calendars back 100 years.

But this issue just concerns computer professionals, right? Wrong. Even though the beginning of the new year is expected to be pretty anticlimactic, advises Bruce Webster, author of The Y2K Survival Guide (Prentice Hall, $19.99) and co-founder/co-chair of the Washington, D.C., Year 2000 Group, experts do identify a few Y2K glitches that could bug you. In fact, any computer-operated system or any mechanism that requires the accuracy of the year for proper operation could be affected. And while you shouldn't buy into the panic perpetuated by extremists and scam artists, you should take some measures to protect yourself from the millennium sting.

Since home is where your heart is and may be the center of much media hype, we'll start there.

Y2K BUGS AROUND THE HOME

Good news! You'll still be able to make your morning coffee and pop in your favorite video on January 1. According to Ann Seybolt, spokeswoman for the Consumer Electronics Association, even those electronic devices that have a date function--coffeemakers, microwaves, dock radios, televisions and fax machines, for example--won't need the correct date to operate properly because they depend on a clock as opposed to a calendar. VCRs and camcorders that are purchased after 1987 should be problem-free. If your systems are older than that, you may need to buy new ones anyway.

Although Webster doesn't predict massive power outages, he says there may be some disruptions because of utility companies that are behind on their Y2K efforts. So, keep working flashlights, candles and extra batteries on hand in case of any power trouble. Also, make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in working condition and have battery-operated backups.

As far as your health is concerned, you should have an ample supply of prescription and nonprescription drugs. If possible, get your doctor to write you up an extra prescription if your condition is life-threatening. Also, check with your doctor, hospital or manufacturer to see if any medical equipment you rely on is Y2K compliant (for details see www.fda.gov). Although most are expected to operate normally, you should ensure that the readings they generate are accurate. In addition, keep enough nonperishable food items and drinking water on hand to tide you and your family over for about a week. This will help you avoid the crowd of shoppers that may decide to do some last-minute shopping in response to Y2K scares. If you still decide to visit the stores, be prepared for some interference on your supermarket run.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Industry experts are more concerned with how consumers will respond to the Y2K scare than with how in-house systems are going to react. "Just like in a hurricane situation, people may start storming the shelves to get as much food as they can," suggests Andy Erickson, editor of Supermarket Grocery & Convenience in Tampa, Florida. The annual directory tracks company information for all U.S. and Canadian grocery and convenience stores. If everyone waits until December 28 to begin stocking up, it could look like the day before Thanksgiving squared, advises Cathy Hotka, vice president of information technology for the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C. "If this becomes the case, people can expect long lines," she says. To avoid being caught up in a year-end rush, you can add a few extra canned goods to your weekly shopping list before the end of the year. Although food suppliers are looking at hoarding as a potential problem, no one really knows what to expect. "Some grocery stores will put extra products on the shelves. Others will just take a wait-and-see approach," Erickson adds.

Then there is the matter of interdependence. If the telecommunications or electric companies experience unexpected complications, that will affect everyone. The same is true for retailers and their suppliers. "Both the supermarkets and their suppliers have to be Y2K compliant in order for everything to work properly," comments Len Lewis, editor in chief of Progressive Grocer, a national monthly business publication, based in New York City, that covers the food industry. "If a supplier has fixed his computer equipment and the retailer then the work is for nothing. A lot of testing has been done on the retail and manufacturing side to make sure everyone is in compliance, so as few glitches as possible take place."