Modern Day Plague Essay, Research Paper

Modern Day Plague

Argument: World has become excessively dependent on computing machines, and we as a society are covering up our mistakes and non confronting the facts, to avoid terror.

About four old ages ago, a new & # 8220 ; pop & # 8221 ; headline came hot of the imperativeness rumouring something about place computing machines holding jobs when the twelvemonth 2000 hit. & # 8220 ; The twelvemonth 2000, that & # 8217 ; s six old ages off, & # 8221 ; people thought. Many believed in six old ages it would be fixed. Therefore, the headline got thrown into the archives along with egg yolks being high in cholesterin and the FBI and the CIA being against each other. Well, today the computing machine job has resurrected itself. The downside is that, the 2nd unit of ammunition of & # 8220 ; ballyhoo, & # 8221 ; as some have called it, is being looked upon less earnestly than earlier.

What is the job anyhow, what & # 8217 ; s the large trade? Many have asked this inquiry without a definite reply, weakening any spot of concern. Here it is put merely. All computing machines contain little processors that contain a current day of the month. This processor comes in 1000000s of different types and has been for near to 30 old ages. These processors are responsible for simple and complex operations and in some instances, for entering informations. All of these maps require day of the months to execute. Well, the job hits when one looks at how all processors have been made. All they contain are six Numberss, 2 for the twenty-four hours, 2 for the month and 2 for the twelvemonth. What about when 99 wants to toss to 00? The computing machine thinks 00 is before 99. Therefore, many go haywire and possibly clang. The lone manner to repair it, is by replacing or up dating ALL processors to enter four figures for the twelvemonth.

When this job foremost resurfaced about eight months back, the few that were paying attending realized the danger. Many suggested the thought of the universe fall ining. This drew plenty rally to organize a congressional commission in May of ( 19 ) 98, less than two old ages to the millenary. Y2K, as it is now known, was targeted more toward authorities and concern application instead than place PC & # 8217 ; s. & # 8220 ; Why is that? & # 8221 ; Chiefly because there is much more on the line. All concerns, public-service corporations and transit companies could be earnestly affected. This besides includes all signifiers of informations storage every bit good, like the Census Bureau, IRS and Social Security. The unfortunate portion about stipulating to these chief groups, is that the populace is left out.

Up until now, there have been merely a smattering of T.V. intelligence studies about Y2K. This is a definite job for several grounds. Today & # 8217 ; s civilization is tuned to every night intelligence for all the issues. For many, it & # 8217 ; s all that they know. The lone in depth paperss on Y2K can be found in subdivision E5 of intelligence documents or on the cyberspace. Two beginnings that might necessitate a small clip to research. Another job is that most of the population thinks of computing machines ( processors ) as sitting on top of desks accompanied with a proctor, keyboard and mouse. Well, if that were the instance, it wouldn & # 8217 ; t be all that difficult to repair. The existent job vitamin E

xists when all processors must be updated or replaced manually. Harmonizing to the Committee of Government Management, Information and Technology, as of August 1998, less than 10 % of companies questioned, had begun looking at these embedded processors for proving. Many of these processors are difficult or impossible to make. These history for some 600+ orbiters revolving above, which operate all ATM’s, cell phones, beepers and air hose counsel systems.

Many believe that the public International Relations and Security Network & # 8217 ; t being revealed the facts deliberately. They feel that the authorities is maintaining it rather to forestall widespread terror. If fear spread that concern could fall in worldwide due to Y2K, there might be a pre-emptive prostration due to a clang of stock markets and Bankss. It & # 8217 ; s a & # 8220 ; lose: lose & # 8221 ; state of affairs. Even if 20 % of investors pulled their money out of the U.S. stock markets, there would still be a complete prostration. This study has been made several times by different market analysists. Another worst-cased scenario would be if everyone wanted to draw hard currency out of Bankss. Presently there is merely 4 % of the existent secured sum is out in currency. This leaves every American with merely $ 68 dollars each. In September, President Clinton announced that the U.S. will be 100 % compliant by 2000. That same month the Fed announced, for the first clip, that they will hike the sum of currency in the US by 50 billion ( 1/3 ) .This was done in instance anyone wanted to hold excess hard currency for the twelvemonth 2000. If there isn & # 8217 ; t any concern why make more money. Another study announced by the FAA, reported that they excessively will be 100 % ready for Y2K. However, IBM, the shaper of the 40 computing machines runing the FAA, replied that the computing machines are so out of day of the month that they must be replaced.

Today, every individual public-service corporation and good we buy at the shop will be affected if something isn & # 8217 ; t done. Every piece is so inter-connected that even minor failures could take to large failures. This was merely proven in San Francisco. Close to 1,000,000 people lost power when a building crew tripped a ledgeman 40 stat mis from the bay country. Harmonizing to the North American Electric Reliability Council, all of North America is powered by more than a 1000 powerplants. These are all joined together at 4 chief grid Stationss to forestall blackouts if one works goes down. However, if something should go on to a few power workss, or even worse one of the grids, up to 200 million people could be without power. In fact, they would be left without any public-service corporation for that affair since gas, H2O and telephone companies require that same power.

How good could adult male last if this job International Relations and Security Network & # 8217 ; t resolved? The existent job is that no 1 is truly paying close attending to this affair. It seems that other issues are acquiring all the evaluations, while the millenary keeps nearing. With a small over a twelvemonth, and a bulk of the people non clued in, will at that place be adequate clip? This will be one of the biggest trials that adult male has of all time challenged, yet we are the Godheads of our enemy.