The Y2k Problem Essays - Calendars, Software Bugs, COBOL, Hazards

The Y2k Problem Essays - Calendars, Software Bugs, COBOL, Hazards The Y2k Problem Y2K: Nearing Disaster or Minor Computer Flaw? By Pete Conti Imagine that, as you do annually, you are counting the minutes until the New Year arrives. You are watching Dick Clark announce that the countdown will begin soon, and you feel anxious. Finally, as you hear the offbeat 5-4-3-2-1-0, and let out a sigh of relief, something goes wrong. At precisely 12:00 A.M. on January 1 of the year 2000, computers across the nation crash, leaving the country in panic. Stores are looted, riots break out, 911 is dysfunctional, banks lose money, the stock market crashes, planes drop from the sky, and we are all left in the bitter darkness. Horror stories such as these are common among news broadcasts and the Internet, but many are wondering how the Y2K problem will, if at all, affect their lives. Some professionals say that the Y2K problem may only cause glitches in older, obsolete computers and mainframes, while others are warning the public, and urging proper preparedness for this imminent disaster. Although both sides of this conflict have very arguab le positions, the world is not taking the Y2K problem seriously enough. Before a valid position can be taken, one must first fully understand what the Y2K problem is, and how it might affect computers. Computer coding has always been constructed of zeros and ones, and the finished product is often called the computer language. Over the last thirty years, namely the early eighties, computer coding was much different than it is today. During this time, a string of zeros usually meant the end of a particular program. For these computers, which are very few, when the year 2000 arrives, the Central Processing Unit, or CPU, will determine that the zeros in the year 2000s date as the end of the software, and the computer will crash. This only makes up a very small percentage of the computers that will be affected by the Y2K problem, the others being the more modern computers that still are not compliant with the year 2000s date. These computers, unlike the earlier, primitive ones, would not recognize the year 2000 as the date in which the software stops functio ning, but instead as the year 1900. This is due to the fact that many date systems are set up using only two numbers, so for example, 01 would be read as 1901, because these computers are still set in the 20th century. Some argue that, because the computer would not crash, and simply believe the date was 1900, the Y2K problem is not a major dilemma; the vast majority of computers would still be fully functional, so fixing the problem doesnt require so much urgency. The problem could be fixed after the year 2000, so panic is unnecessary. This is obviously not the case, when you think about all of the computers that run on dates. Almost all of the systems that run schedule-keeping programs will be adversely affected if this problem is not fixed. What about the telephone company? What would happen if you were on the telephone at the date change? What about Travel agencies and package delivery systems? These questions remain unanswered, and will stay that way until the year 2000 arrives . The Y2K problem is very serious, but it is causing many more problems than simply computers. There are radicals supporting every viewpoint. Some people who are worried about the Y2K problem are withdrawing all of their money from banks, and stockpiling their houses with months worth of food, while others simply fail to acknowledge the Y2K problem. Others are actually trying to get rich off perhaps the biggest problem in computers short history. There are numerous fake, overpriced, and overrated Y2K survival kits on sale for ridiculous prices. Imagine what would happen if Y2K did cause major problems, what would the radicals do then? While it is obvious that many are over-preparing for this potential upcoming problem, the ones that are paying no attention to it may be in danger. NBC news stated that withdrawing money from banks is actually a bad idea, as many banks have already converted to Y2K compliant software, but having necessary items such as a radio, batteries, a flashlight,

Analytical Essay Sample on the Civil War and the Crisis in 1861

Analytical Essay Sample on the Civil War and the Crisis in 1861 The Crisis Yet the crisis came up in 1861 when the civil war broke out with a threat to the very existence of the Federation. Of course, a conflict between the north and the South was inevitable and this is a real wonder that how the breakdown could have been avoided for such a long period of time. In fact, ever since the formation of the Union, the units of the North and the South were cross-purposes. Ostensibly, the war centered round the institution of slavery; but, in fact, it was involved with much bigger issues of political and economic affairs as well. There was a strong reason for which the Southern states intended to desert the Union. While the North was highly industrialized, the South depended upon Agriculture and the finished goods from the North. Moreover, the South needed the slaves for agriculture, but the North was in favor of their emancipation. â€Å"The cotton-growing South, irritated by the growing threat of Abolitionist Movement, and fearing this predominance in the Congre ss, began to talk of secession from the union† (Wells). In short, the interests were very much conflicting. Gradually, the idea state-right gained ground and the Southern states began to think that it was useless to remain in the Federation. As their political fear along with the economic grudge mixed up, the existence of the Federation was seriously at stake. Finally, the election of Abraham Lincoln as the President of America in the year 1866 brought the matter to a head. His success in the election was taken to be the ominous sign of a triumph of the slave-abolitionists and thus, everything rapidly drifted from bad to worse leading to a five-year war in 1861. The War It is during this crucial time that the quality of the presidential leadership was seriously tested. As Sidney Warren has observed, â€Å"Abraham Lincoln, reacting boldly to the challenge of rebellion not only enlarged the constitutional role of presidency in times of crisis but invested the office with the attribute of moral leadership† (Warren). He believed that the Federation could not be broken up by the Southern states in this way and, in order to keep it intact, military measures were to be adopted with unbending tenacity and firm determination. Resultantly, the South was defeated, and the Federation was preserved. It is a fact that the South began well and initially it achieved a number of victories. But the failure to capture Maryland was a turning point of the war. Lincoln immediately seized the opportunity to proclaim the emancipation of slaves in the rebellious states. It was truly a master-stroke, because the slaves in the Southern zone now began to support the President. And, moreover, it won the sympathy of foreign nations with the result that, since then, the rebels failed to win any outside assistance.

Free Essays on Most Effective Class

The class that has most affected my life is my Recreation 304 – Challenges of Liesure. The idea of achieving true happiness was the main objective of the course. This was the first class that made me reflect on my personal life and self value. I learned about aspects of myself which I had never considered. After taking the class I had clear vision of not only myself but also how I should spend my the rest of my life. My Recreation 304 was by far the most life affecting course I’ve taken during my student life. I first thought that this course was going to be a simple upper division elective. But after the first day I knew it would be much more. My professor was Mrs. Duncan. When we first walked into class she told all of us that the class was full and very difficult so all students wanting to crash need not stay, not to mention the students who want an easy A. After about thirty people left the room she smiled and said, â€Å"Now that I’ve weeded out the students who don’t want to be here lets begin.† She asked questions about why we were in college and what we hoped to gain from the college experience. Not one student replied with an answer which was related to their happiness. She then asked if you had everything in the world would that make you happy. A few students answered yes jokingly, but most said no. She then asked , â€Å"Then why the hell are you working so hard if you don’t even care about material things in the first place?† I then thought t o myself, for the first time in my college career, â€Å"What might I being doing instead of college which would give me pleasure and happiness?† I had spent the last couple of years so consumed by my classes that I hadn’t even stopped to ask myself if I was actually liking what I was doing, She then stated that she did not want to imply that we should all drop out of school and become hippies or anything, but we should definitely stop periodically in our lives and ask oursel... Free Essays on Most Effective Class Free Essays on Most Effective Class The class that has most affected my life is my Recreation 304 – Challenges of Liesure. The idea of achieving true happiness was the main objective of the course. This was the first class that made me reflect on my personal life and self value. I learned about aspects of myself which I had never considered. After taking the class I had clear vision of not only myself but also how I should spend my the rest of my life. My Recreation 304 was by far the most life affecting course I’ve taken during my student life. I first thought that this course was going to be a simple upper division elective. But after the first day I knew it would be much more. My professor was Mrs. Duncan. When we first walked into class she told all of us that the class was full and very difficult so all students wanting to crash need not stay, not to mention the students who want an easy A. After about thirty people left the room she smiled and said, â€Å"Now that I’ve weeded out the students who don’t want to be here lets begin.† She asked questions about why we were in college and what we hoped to gain from the college experience. Not one student replied with an answer which was related to their happiness. She then asked if you had everything in the world would that make you happy. A few students answered yes jokingly, but most said no. She then asked , â€Å"Then why the hell are you working so hard if you don’t even care about material things in the first place?† I then thought t o myself, for the first time in my college career, â€Å"What might I being doing instead of college which would give me pleasure and happiness?† I had spent the last couple of years so consumed by my classes that I hadn’t even stopped to ask myself if I was actually liking what I was doing, She then stated that she did not want to imply that we should all drop out of school and become hippies or anything, but we should definitely stop periodically in our lives and ask oursel...

Business (Decision Making) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business (Decision Making) - Essay Example There were no motorcycle used in Chicago and the company sales team could consider introducing this especially for the JIT deliveries to customers. The comparison of the amount of time it take to get to work suggest that the company need to deliver more snack at work place as majority of the people stay away from home the whole day of work except those who are working at home. The census trend shows that there are more females than males by a fair percentage hence the production team needs to focus when making snacks. Overall there has been an increase in income and employment and the minimum wage bracket seem to show much progress. Hence the snack pricing will need to concentrate on low priced high volume snack strategy. There are also options for premium priced snack for the management employees. In terms of logistics, employees in offices and central administration had the highest concentration. According to the census in the area of educational attainment, the variance of the data of the USA general against the Zip code 60614 was as follows: Associate degree (+ ) 4.42 % ; Bachelor’s Degree (-) 28.65% ; Graduate Degree (-) 25.13% ; Some College, No degree (+) 12.33% ; 9th – 11th Grade , No Diploma (+) 8.86% ; Grade K-9 (+) 4.16% ; High School Graduate (+) 23.03%. Sum of the variance is (-) 0.98%, which means the average zip code 60614, is has 0.98 less education attainment that the average general US levels. (Baker, 2004, Online); (SISA, 2008, Online). In the comparison of the USA report vs. the zip 60614 report the variance for: American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut Population; Asia; Black Population; Hispanic Ethnicity; Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific islander Alone; Other population ; Two or more races and white population was (+) 1%. However there was no data on Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders. (Baker, 2004, Online); (SISA, 2008, Online) In the comparison of the USA data vs. the zip code 60614 the data for

Carnival Cruise - Case 16 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Carnival Cruise - 16 - Case Study Example These forces include threats from new entrants in to the market, bargaining powers of the customers or the buyers, threats emanating from substitutes that could be products or services, bargaining power of the suppliers, the level of rivalry among the competing companies, and the relative power of unions. The competitive forces vary from country to country in the same way that industries vary. For instance, threats of entrants into an industry are not the same in different countries and are mostly dependent on the development of the host country or the market in question. Here, there would be a higher threat from new entrants for an organization operating in the U.K than one operating in a developing country. The competitive forces have a high rating while others have low rating. First, threat of new entrants is a high rate risk for businesses especially those operating in highly profitable markets. This is because these markets have the potential to attract new firms that lead to erosion of profit making capabilities for the existing organizations. To respond to these threats, the incumbents should have pre-established entry barriers such as economies of scale failure to which profitability suffers. Second, the bargaining power of the buyers is a high rate risk. It is the idea of the buyers driving the prices down. It is a high risk especially in the areas where there are few powerful buyers. These buyers have the capacity to dictate terms that determine the prices of the goods offered. In addition, when the cost for switching to another buyer is low, then the power of the buyers is significantly low with respect to determining the prices offered. Therefore, the number of powerful indiv idual buyers in a specified market determines the prices of the products. Third, substitute threats can also be rated as high risks. This is because the existence of substitutes increases the likelihood of the customers switching to them leading to loss and loss of

Economy in Italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economy in Italy - Essay Example S&P revised its estimates based on the GDP in Italy which show only an average growth of .7% between 2011 and 2014 which is much lower than what was projected in previous information that the growth would be somewhere around 1.3%. With the upward pressure on the funding costs in private and public sectors and a dampened external demand, in addition to austerity measures that have been put into place by the government, it is likely that the growth will far less than was previously predicted (Ellis). Italy appears to be in trouble and this does not bode well for the next three years. The nation has a great number of resources where its history is concerned, but it appears that its present is in a conflicted state that might make visiting the nation a more difficult or less appealing prospect. With the turmoil in the government, it might be wise to assess the current state of affairs before visiting the country as well as assess the stability of the Euro as it is used in the nation. Showing that the news is ever evolving and connected, Dominic Rushe wrote an article about the economic conditions in Italy in relationship to the way it will affect the entire European economic situation. The credit rating service Moody’s has been the second service in a few weeks to downgrade the Italian rating, creating problems for the idea of lending to the nation and increasing the costs of borrowing for the state. Moody’s stated that it cut the rating because â€Å"sustained and non-cyclical erosion of confidence† (Rushe). An interesting point was made by Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who â€Å"criticised Moodys rival Standard & Poors when it cut Italys credit rating last month, saying the ratings agencys action was "dictated more by newspaper stories than by reality" (Rushe). This commentary furthers the idea that much of the economy is

Managing Oneself Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Oneself - Assignment Example on to that, the writer goes ahead to highlight one of the main reasons for the recognition of one self, is that it aids in the determination of the goals and the expectations of an individual. This can be described as the technique in which an individual compares the outcome of a particular event, decision for this case, with the expectation of an individual. On that note, analysis feedback simply means the determination of the impact of a particular decision with relation to the individual’s goal. The article clearly dictates that the only way in which an individual can learn about oneself is through the use of the feedback analysis technique. Apparently, through the comparison of the expectation of an individual with the decision made regarding a particular issue, one can be able to know one’s values and virtues. Subsequently, this goes a long way in determining the efficiency of an individual in the particular area of expertise. Evidently, this question can be answered after one has critically evaluated his or her strengths among other issues. On that note, the article goes ahead to give an example of the physicians and the mathematicians. Apparently, these areas are highly technical and therefore they require people who are gifted in the area. Notably, there career paths are usually spelt out during their teenage years. On the other hand, there are some areas in which one must first study in order to establish where they belong for instance in business. The decision to make a difference should be made early enough, in other words during the youthful age since it is at this time that an individual has high productivity and the vigor to carry out the required assignment. First and foremost, the ability of one to accept the other people, in simple terms workmates come in handy in the building of responsible relationships. On that note, this helps to foster good working relationship, which goes a long way to boost the communication. Secondly, there is the