For many computer and software systems, the year 2000 will bring a host of problems related to software programs that record the year using only the last two digits. On our look out for items of interest to you, we found this list for you!

1. It's someone else's problem.

2. Someone smarter than you will come up with an automated solution.

3. You're planning to retire next year.

4. You just don't have the time right now. Ask me again next year when things slow down.

5. You want to surprise your shareholders.

6. You're too busy writing new applications (which can't handle the year 2000 either.)

7. January 1st 2000 falls on a Saturday and Monday's a holiday... you'll have lots of time over the weekend.

8. Your standards (found in a large red binder in the IS library) outlined how dates should be used in all applications.

9. You only use vendor software.

10. You lost the source code of your applications 3 years ago.

11. You're not using computers yet, you're waiting for the prices to come down.

12. You don't believe in computers.

13. Government will pass legislation to roll back the clock to 1900.

14. You're moving your mission critical systems to client servers.

15. You'll have replaced your applications by then.

16. You don't have the budget.

17. You're 95, on life support and haven't paid your electric bill for the last 3 months.

18. You're planning to sell your company next year.

19. You believe in the Tooth Fairy.

20. You were planning to phase out computers anyway.

21. You can't believe 2 missing digits can cause that much trouble.

22. You don't think it's such a big deal... but you'll have a programmer wear a beeper just in case anything goes wrong.

23. You're planning a vacation that week.

24. There are no date problems in your code (you have faith in your programmers).

25. You have no programmers (your competition hired them away from you last week.)

26. You can't afford the cost of maintenance (but can afford the cost of going out of business.)

27. You're waiting for someone to convince you the problem is real.

28. It's not your job to worry about this.

29. You believe a comet is due to hit Earth in 2000. So why bother?

30. Your management has not asked you to work on it yet.

31. You've outsourced your IS function, they're taking care of this ... you hope.

32. You're sure your vendor has taken care of this.

33. Bill Gates will solve it.

34. You have no programmers (you downsized last year).

35. You have no programmers (you outsourced last year).

36. You have no COBOL programmers (they all moved to Client Server last year).

37. It's too complex.

38. You've got a headache.

39. You don't like large maintenance projects.

40. What date problem?

41. Nostradamus never mentioned this problem.

42. You don't want to.

43. You're a disgruntled employee.

44. Computers have no impact on your life.

45. You like the excitement of system crashes.

46. Your multi-million dollar company, doesn't really depend on computers.

47. We can hire enough people to replace computers as they fail and even save money too.

48. You believe in the sanctity of all life... even computer bugs.

49. You think the problem is exaggerated.

50. You're already filed for receivership or bankruptcy!

Copyright 1995 by Peter de Jager, and is reproduced by the kind permission of the author.