(Hopt the formatting doesn't screw up...)

The Ballad Of The Y2K (sing to the tune of "Gilligan's Island") Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale Of the doom that is our fate. That started when programmers used Two digits for a date. Two digits for a date.

RAM memory was smaller then; Hard drives tiny, too. "Four digits are extravagant, So let's get by with two. So let's get by with two."

"This works through 1999," The programmers did say. "Unless we write new code by then The data goes away. The data goes away."

But management had not a clue, "It's fine for now, you bet! Rewriting code cost money, We won't do it just yet. We won't do it just yet."

Now when 2000 rolls around, It all goes straight to hell, For zero's less then ninety-nine, As anyone can tell. As anyone can tell.

The mail won't bring your pension check, It won't be sent to you 'Cause you're no longer sixty-eight But minus thirty-two. But minus thirty-two.

The problems we're about to face Are frightening, for sure. And reading every line of code's The only certain cure. The only certain cure.

[[key change, the big finish coming]]

There's not much time, there's too much code, And COBOL-coders, few. When the century is finished, We may be finished, too.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), November 18, 1999

Answers

Roland,

Good morning! LOL - great song! We sure could use the humor... :-)

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 18, 1999.

Good morning to you, Deb! A friend emailed it to me...thought I would share the chuckle.

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), November 18, 1999.

Roland,

Thanks. Quite funny.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), November 18, 1999.

Excellent, Roland! Thanks for bringing it over.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), November 18, 1999.