The Millenium And Its Effect On Perception Of Y2K

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Philisophical sidenote:

How much of the fervor surrounding Y2K is because the problem happens to fall on a millenium change rather than on some other, less "significant" century boundry? Certainly we have a big problem here. I'm just wondering if the psychological volume isn't being pumped up because of the millenium shift.

Let's face it: There is a hugh mystique built up around the millenium change in both relegious and secular circles. However, the issue under discussion here is a "Y2K" bug only because computers weren't around in 1899 for this to be a problem! If they had been, this might well have been referred to as the "20th Century Problem," or something like that.

I ask this question because I have had several e-mails over the last few weeks which indicate a belief that the Y2K induced catastrophe which is on its way is God's way of starting the Second Coming (or whatever you wish to call it). When I questioned this, I was told (and I'm paraphrasing a bit here) that the answer was obvious: "Year 2000 problem, millenium change, God. Get it?" Well, I don't get it. Sorry.

-- Paul Neuhardt (neuhardt@compuserve.com), May 04, 1998

Answers

Responding directly to your question, whether cosmic coincidence or theological prophesy, I think it's irrelevant. The computers will get wacked (wicked?!) on 1/1/2000. On an observation note. I have an extensive Judeo/christian background. I'm also familiar with native american culture and belief, as well as an extensive interest in the Tao (oriental). Throw in Nostradamus and it adds up to one big headache. Oddly enough, my lifes path seems to have been one of preparation for what seems very likely to occur. Skilled with the use of my hands, a love of natural healing from an herbal perspective for the past 12 years, and an interest in Comp. programming (visual, c++). The computer path took me into opening a small business service. I have been playing with small business software programs for my clients for the past 2 years. All differant. Pawn shops, marinas, car lots, etc. When I make a working copy of there software, change the system date, and run from the copy, most of the time the software crashes. Interesting enough, the ones that crash stay crashed after the right date has been restored. Oh yeah, for the skeptics, the program in the copied directory works fine untill the date is changed. Sorry if this seems like I'm blowing my horn. I say this to make a point. Ignorance really is bliss. Throw away all the "prophesy", and what you have left is a serious, very real technical problem that will occur as if it were set-up like a scheduled task in windows 95.

-- lou (theknowzone@mindspring.com), May 04, 1998.

Dear Mr. Neuhardt,

There is no doubt in my mind that the Y2K issue is a real problem, independent of any quasi-religious interpretations of the millenium. However, I am equally confident that, between now and 1/1/01, we will hear more than one account of the activity of groups--many that will undoubtedly be apocalyptic in nature--which will use all manner of rhetoric to support a particular world view and to fulfill a particular prophetic agenda. I expect that some of these groups will cite the Y2K problem as evidence to legitimize their perspective. This is unfortunate, but I don't think it is unusual or unexpected. Even the Bible and the Koran, as cherished as they may be to believers, are routinely abused for such a purpose. The significance of the Year 2000 as a religious event is not motivated by the Divine, it is obviously of human origin, as arbirary as the enumeration of the years themselves.

David Auslander

-- David Auslander (dauslander@usa.net), May 05, 1998.


I think that the fact the problems happen over the millennium makes people complacent about it. The average Joe thinks "It's just one of those crazy end-of-the-world things that happen each millennium" and they refuse to look into it as a factual, scientific problem. On the other hand, to those who are looking for the world as we know it to end in 2000 it provides a compelling platform, (but very few listen to them anyway).

-- cindy@bigfoot.com (cindy@bigfoot.com), May 10, 1998.

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