Minnesota Y2K Facts
Food and Water.
Minnesota resources
Reports
U.S. Congress Special Committee on the Y2K Problem.
Y2K: The Northfield Way.
U.S. Senator Bob Bennett's report
Morning summit session highlights
Evening summit session highlights
Programs
Minnesota Commissioner of Administration David Fisher and Mike O'Connor, co-founder of gofast.net, on MPR's Midday (9/8/99).
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Alan Cox, a Twin Cities TV reporter, chaired a small panel on how the media is covering Y2K. The audio is available below.
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When computer programmers were programming the first computers, they shortened the date to a two-digit form in order to save costly memory space. For example, 1998 became 98. In the past decade, memory space has become cheaper and therefore able to hold more code. The problem arises when a computer program attempts to read the date "00." To a computer, it could mean "2000" or it could mean "1900." If a computer reads the date as "1900," then it may miscalculate, malfunction, or shut down completely.
The problem may occur in three different areas: software, hardware, or data communication.
- Software: If your software has a Y2K problem, then it may not function correctly, or maybe even not at all. While discovering that you have a program that shuts down the application may be troublesome and annoying, it would be potentially more disastrous if the software continued to function but was returning incorrect data because of a Y2K problem.
- Hardware: The hardware problem is also referred to as "imbedded chips." This refers to the codes that are stored in your computer in order to make it run. They are imbedded because these codes can be used over and over again within different computer systems.
- Data Communication: The term data communication refers to communications by a computer to itself and other computers. It involves analyzing data and producing information based on that data. This problem is more difficult to detect. It would be easy if your computer simply stopped
Y2K Day
July 21, 1999
An MPR Civic Journalism Initiative summit at St. Thomas University
8am-3pm
Schedule and audio:
Midday broadcast from St Thomas, including a video/teleconference
with U.S. Senator Bob Bennett and a open-floor discussion with the summit participants.
Listen | Read more
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Tom Chambers of Minnesota Power led a discussion group on statewide
coordination efforts centered about Y2K.
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After a morning introductory session, participants in a by-invitation-only roundtable broke into smaller groups to discuss preparations for Y2K. Read more and listen to their reports.
Part One:
Listen(28:37)
- Infrastructure - Water facilities, air transportation, fuel, power, telecommunications etc.
- Emergency Preparedness (9:50) - National Guard, hospitals, shelters
- Government (18:20) - Cities, counties, emergency management, vulnerable adults.
- Health Systems (23:30) - Senior housing, nursing homes, pharmaceutical supplies, medical devices. State vs national preparedness. Minnesota is ready by national agencies are not, a panelist says.
Part Two:
Listen(11:59)
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Finance and Business - Banks and financial institutions.
- Internet and Broadcasting - The believability of reporting on Y2K.
Midday host Gary Eichten moderated a live broadcast of an evening
Panel at the Great American History Theater 7-8:30 pm.
Guests included the President's Y2K advisor, John A. Koskinen, and Mayor Norm Coleman.
Read more | Listen to Michael Khoo's report | Listen to entire program (1:28:16)
Stories from MPR
July 21, 1999
Minnesota Prepares for Y2K.
Michael Khoo reports most observers believe critical
services and sectors of the economy should continue to operate past December 31st, when many older computers could have trouble handling the date change. But the potential for smaller-scale, spotty disruptions is virtually unlimited.
Listen
Workers Try to Make Nuke Plant Y2K-Proof
(February 17,1999)
Towns Gear for Y2K
(February 8, 1998)
Some Small Businesses Not Worrying About Y2K
(February 26, 1999)
Utilities Plan for Y2K
(February 3, 1998)
Small Business Braces for Year 2000
(December 28, 1998)
Profiting from the Y2K Panic
(December 28,1998)
Some Small Businesses Not Worrying About Y2K
(December 26,1998)
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