DECEMBER 29, 08:01 EST 

Experts Still Worry About Y2K Fix 

By WILL LESTER
Associated Press Writer 


WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton's announcement that Social Security payments will not be hindered by computer glitches related to the year 2000 was hailed by some computer experts, but they're more concerned about systems that aren't prepared. 

``It's good news, but certainly expected given that Social Security was out front all along,'' said Ed Yourdon, a New York City computer consultant and author of ``Time Bomb 2000,'' a book about the Year 2000 computer problem, known as Y2K. ``The danger is that people might generalize that things are going to be OK. Most of us in the computer field think that 75 percent of the government agencies and businesses will make it.'' 

Yourdon said it was ``a question of whether you look at the glass as half-full or half-empty. What's the effect of the 25 percent that's not done?'' 

Jack Gribben, spokesman for the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, said White House officials focused on the computer problem are ``most concerned about organizations in government and business where the head of the organization does not have Y2K as one of their top priorities.'' 

The Y2K problem arose when programmers of early computers represented each year by its last two digits rather than by all four - for example, 1972 as 72 - mostly to save computer memory that was vastly more expensive at the time. 

Trouble begins when computers try to add or subtract dates using that two-digit format and the world approaches the year 2000, or 00. The larger, older mainframe computers still used by government and big corporations for many vital functions are particularly vulnerable.

``Unless organizations that have done little on Y2K mount aggressive efforts over the next year, we could face disruptions that are local in nature if there are small businesses that aren't paying attention,'' Gribben said. ``If your mayor or county manager isn't paying a lot of attention, there could be problems. Local governments provide a lot of services to people.'' 

The president assured Americans on Monday that Social Security will be paid without delay in the new millennium because government computers are free of programming bugs many expect at the start of 2000. 

``The millennium bug will not delay the payment of Social Security checks by a single day,'' Clinton said in a White House ceremony. 

``It's a good showing for Social Security,'' said Tim Wilson, publisher of Y2K News Magazine in Crossville, Tenn. He said about two dozen other departments and agencies are still working on the problem, and congressional watchdogs have said one-third of them will not be ready. 

``Health and Human Services is the one that worries us the most,'' Wilson said, noting that agency delivers Medicare, Medicaid and welfare payments through the states, which have Y2K problems of their own. 

Actually, the Social Security Administration had its system ready in September. The Treasury Department bureau that disburses 600 million Social Security payments each year - the Financial Management Service - got its system ready within the last couple of weeks, federal officials said.

That bureau also delivers checks for the Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Affairs and the Railroad Retirement Board. Delivery systems for those agencies are close to being prepared but have not been independently tested, said bureau spokeswoman Alvina McHale. 

Government officials said it cost just over $43 million to get the Social Security delivery system ready for 2000. 

Rep. Steve Horn, a California Republican whose House subcommittee monitors Y2K preparations, praised the Social Security Administration's compliance, but noted the agency had 10 years to prepare. 

``What about the departments and agencies that have started their remediation efforts only within the last few years?'' Horn asked. ``The administration must focus on these problem agencies. It must also look at what state and local governments are doing to address the problem.'' 

 
 



 



www.popsci.com - The official Web site of Popular Science Magazine.
Copyright (c) 1998 Popular Science, a division of Times Mirror Magazines.