OMIGOD!!!! It's worse than Y2K fever! The end of the world! Again.

[Dr.Phool]

My wife got this from her IT dept, this morning and forwarded it to me. My response follows.


Hello All,

Everyone (hopefully) is familiar with the upcoming Daylight Savings Time changes, beginning March 11 of this year. If you are not, here's an article about it:

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070201/NEWS01/702010346

There are impacts to many computer systems across the world, especially Microsoft software. The I.T. group has been working for the past several weeks to implement the necessary fixes to our computers and software across the network as patches and information become available.

At this time, there are a few remaining patches and updates yet to be delivered from the vendors. However, we believe that once these are released and we deploy them, we will be in good shape organization-wide.

One thing to be aware of for your *personal* computers at home: You MUST ensure that you are running Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista on your home computer to receive a patch from Microsoft to fix the Daylight Savings Time issue. If you have these versions, and have Automatic Updates turned on to automatically download and apply updates, no need to worry - you'll automatically get the patch this month.

HOWEVER, if you are running anything older than Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) at home, Microsoft says you're out of luck, as they won't support you. So, for example, if you are running Windows 2000 or Windows 98, your home computer will not automatically adjust it's time correctly. Here is Microsoft's statement on the Daylight Savings Time changes:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/timezone/dst2007.mspx

Again, please don't worry about your work computers or software, as we are handling it. We will let you know of any issues or changes if it becomes necessary.

If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk.

Thanks!

JM


My Response....

Oh my God!!!! Do you realize what this means?!?!! People who don't have service pack 2 installed (we do) will GASP, have to set their time manually! It's the end of the world!

It's worse than Y2K fever! Run for the hills!

Ok, I'll stop laughing now.

[Beelzebud]

1. The Y2K "scare" was a one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed.

The idea that a computer system will stop working because the date on it reads 1900 instead of 2000 is comedy gold. A computer doesn't give a shit what the date is.

[Richard Steele]

9. "Planes are gonna fall out of the sky!!!" Remember that?

[global1]

13. Don't Laugh - Y2K - Gave Us *........nt

[bluemarkers]

21. but my neighbor's garage exploded

from all the toilet paper they stocked up on!!

(seriously - they didn't have to buy any for a year)

I keep hoping the rapture will take 'em

[Jackpine Radical]

28. When you're fulla shit

ya gotta plan ahead.

[mzmolly]

30. LOL

:rofl:

[peacetalksforall]

11. Are you aware that there are more than PCs in this computer world.

are you aware that some PCs are quite tied to other computers that were vulnerable to the Y2K switchover?

The world doesn't just operate on home PCs.

[Debau2005]

2. I'll join you in your laughter

I work in IT, and it is Y2K all over for some of the higher ups who can't comprehend that times can be manually changed...

It is laughable. Since I am usually talking to people that control my destiny in this company, I don't roll my eyes until I get back to my cube!
:rofl:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Or you can ignore it

One thing to do if you do set it manually is to remember to reset it when the computer does the switch in April(or you'll be an hour ahead of what you should be). I figure I'll just leave it all alone and just remember the hour-or better yet, consult my analog watch for those three weeks.

[Dr.Phool]

5. I had to set mine on automatic

Because I got tired of getting out of bed at 2:00am to reset it.

Now if I could only make the microwave automatic.

[RebelOne]

15. That's the best solution.

I have XP, but I'm not sure if I have Service Pack 2. So, if Microsoft does not send a patch, I just won't worry about it.

[China_cat]

37. That's what I'm planning on doing.

I'll reset my other clocks...which, for some unfathomable reason, I tend to consult instead of the computer clock even though it means completely turning around in my chair to see the clock rather than just drop my eyes to the lower right hand corner of the screen.

[liberal N proud]

4. Imagine that, Microsoft software has a problem

hmmmmm!

[MonkeyFunk]

6. Hard to blame Microsoft for this

Apple system versions prior to 10.4.6 have the same problem. Apple patched the OS after congress changed the date for DST.

It's unreasonable to expect any computer maker to predict what congress will do.

[sarge43]

10. At any given moment Congress doesn't know what it will do. n/t

[MyNameGoesHere]

12. Well here is

another person that should not be allowed near a PC. Hey sunshine this affects every damn thing in the world that has a automatic DST change in it, Clocks watches VCR phone systems.So please restate before you are found out.

[THX1138]

7. For the average home user

This is not a big deal. If you are a Network Admin, having to manually change the time on every server in your Domain is a bit of a pain in the ass. And when people start getting e-mail with an incorrect timestamp, they'll complain about it, trust me.

[snooper2]

19. Or if your in telecommunications

and you have to update your solaris and unix OS, along with adding new patches to the backbone switch systems, (VoIP) so the phone records do not show your girlfriend calling her ex. at 9:00 instead of 10:00...

Not to mention billing impacts and sycronizations for logs and reports between servers...

[MyNameGoesHere]

33. Come on

isn't it just easier to blame MS on this whole thing? Your not playing the game right.

[Double T]

8. vista sales must be slow

[liberal N proud]

14. I doubt Vista will solve this problem

The law was passed well after Vista was sent to production. The software that managed the clocks on computers should never been set to be automatic.
Are we really so lazy that we can't adjust the clocks on our own PC's?
I know one of the reasons they wanted it automatic was to track when people did what on the PC, legal reasons. All the more reason it should be manual.

[Double T]

17. Setting mine MANUALLY to GMT to really throw THEM off.

[Atman]

16. Bullshit. Why not just call it "BUY YOUR VISTA UPGRADE NOW?"

MS is so fucking transparent. Talk about "viral marketing." All the sane and/or broke people who don't fall for the ad campaign will be scared into upgrading. Brilliant!

.

[MyNameGoesHere]

20. Do you have a watch that

adjust to DST? Or anything that adjusts to DST automatically? Why no bashing them? Transparent.

[Atman]

23. No.

Just my trusty Mac, which is always up-to-day.

Watch? What's this "watch" device you speak of?

.

[Richard Steele]

24. I've seen these "watches" of which he speaks- my friend runs an antique store!

You should Google them sometime when you have
a free hour or two- FASCINATING little things,
they were!

[MyNameGoesHere]

26. I see your point

but have no idea what it means. Are you suggesting no one makes watches anymore? News to me. By the way is that frimewarein your phone that automatically adjusts to DST updated yet? You may want to go to that antique shop.

[Atman]

29. My cell phone gets the time from the network (I don't have a land line).

My computer gets the time from Los Alamos.

My iPod gets the time from the computer when I sync it.

And don't take the "watch" comment so seriously. It was just a bit of levity. I haven't worn a watch for years because every goddamn thing seems to tell me the time these days. Oh crap...I just remembered there is a clock on my microwave! What if it cooks my dinner an hour late????

.

[MyNameGoesHere]

36. yeah mine too

but also can use the built in routine. Most my devices are auto but the stuff we have at work for Point of sales is old software and believe it or not we made this mod to adjust 3 years ago because it was manual before <3000 modem connects to adjust> now they change it and we got push out new firmware. AKKK These machines print money orders and if the date and time are wrong it is a accounting night mare.

[Richard Steele]

32. No "meaning" intended, just some tongue-in-cheek frivolity. Peace. nm

[MyNameGoesHere]

27. Ummm ok

you do know that that trusty little Mac also has a routine that adjusts for DST along with 1000's of other devices? Just saying. And i guess no one uses a watch or other device to keep time? Wow news to me as i just passed about 20 people that have these "mystery" devices. Black magic i suppose.

[Atman]

31. As stated, Apple already took care of this.

As usual, Apple is out in front of problems, not scrambling to try to catch up. Besides, my Mac is set to retrieve the current time from the Los Alamos nuclear clock. If it weren't hooked up to the internet, I'd have to change the time manually. As I do in my car radios, and every other device I own with clocks in them. Who the hell are all these people with all-automated clocks? I've never had one clock in my house that changes to DST automatically.

.

[MyNameGoesHere]

18. NOTE TO MS BASHERS

this is a problem with MOST devices that have a built in function to adjust for DST. So bashing MS is pointless and just ignorant. Right now i am in the process of pushing out firmware updates to 3000 Point of sales devices because of this MS aint got shit to do with that.

[ThoughtCriminal]

22. Probably not a problem for me

Our computers' time zone settings are for Arizona (GMT-7:00). Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time.

[demrabble]

25. The Extra Sunlight Will Kill Us All!

It's bad enough that we have daylight savings time from April through October.

All those extra hours of sunlight that get saved up really do add up, you know.

But now, we are going to have two or three additional months when we save daylight?

Daylight is so unhealthy -- it can cause cancer and other unhealthy things.

So why would anyone want to save it.

I say -- Just let the daylight go -- don't save it!

[Turbineguy]

34. In December 1999

I was Chief Engineer on a large container ship. With the Y2K scare, the company purchasing dept came out with a directive to order essentials in advance in case everything (they used Oracle) collapsed. I ordered quantities of toilet paper and main engine cylinder oil to meet our requirements through March 2000.

I tested all systems on the ship in mid December by advancing the various computer clocks to the magic moment and watched as nothing happened. The only unknown was the elevator.

When the world did not end, the purchasing dept canceled my orders but forgot to mention it to us. There were several occasions in the following months where the cylinder oil we ordered did not show up and we had to advise the company we would not be sailing the ship resulting in a massive panic.

[ima_sinnic]

35. I predict that in not too many yrs Microsoft will refuse to update XP

with anything. They are very evilly trying to get everybody to switch over to their centrally controlled Vista, where they can delete programs off your computer that they don't like and mess with your premium content.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6319845.stm

[newportdadde]

38. This and Y2k were very real problems.

True it won't mean much to my PC usage at home but to a corporation this can mean a great deal. I'm not in telecom but I imagine this could cause some issues there. From a mainframe perspective(which I do work on) I could see an issue if your mainframe process was scheduled to execute a job at 4am and your next interface didn't realize it was 4am yet. This can get even more hairy if your working on a system that runs multiple batch processes per day at specific times.

It all depends on your IT area and how they have things setup for this type of situation.

As far as Y2k it was very real... no not elevators dropping 20 stories real but yes there were many things that I personally worked on that would have gone to absolute shit if we hadn't fixed it and then babysit it all night long while everyone else was getting drunk.