-=> Quoting Jim Sanders to All <=-
 JS> FAA racing to debug key air traffic computers before 2000
 JS> By Matthew L. Wald -- New York Tunes News Service
 JS> WASHINGTON- A set of crucial computers in the nation's air traf-
 JS> fic control system should not be used beyond December 1999, because
 JS> they may not operate reliably when the date rolls over to Jam 1,
 JS> 2000, and there is no way to predict the effect on air traffic,
 JS> according to IBM, which built the computers.
 JS> Computers all over the world will have difficulty dealing with
 JS> Jam 1, 2000, and beyond because many of them record only the last
 JS> two digits of the year and assume that the first two are "19." For
 JS> these machines, the day after 31, 1999, will be Jam 1., 1900, not
 JS> Jam 1,2000.
 JS> to accept flight plans for planes that take off on Dec. 31, 1999,
 JS> and land on Jam 1. That landing would be 99 years in the past, from
 JS> the computer's point of view.
        Here's a hint!  Tell them to abbreviate January as JAN.  The month
of JAM tends to confuse a lot of computers!   :-)  That tip should
get someone a new toilet seat in DC!
        Christopher
... The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR]
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