The year 2000 issue and its relevance to technical communicators

Summary form only given, as follows. A superficially trivial issue, the omission of the century digits from dates (the Year 2000 Problem), has created computational ambiguities that first corrupt individual systems and then propagate to endanger interrelated systems and entire organizations. To discover, identify, isolate and correct every date-related operation within each individual system is challenging in itself; to integrate, coordinate, synchronize and validate all changes across the web of interconnected systems and organizations is the most daunting task our community has ever faced. Without a coordinated international effort to investigate, review, disseminate and promulgate practical, shareable, standardized problem descriptions and solutions, it is arguable that the current interconnective complexity of the global electronic infrastructure is at severe risk of collapse. This unsettling scenario is the reluctantly reached but carefully considered conclusion of a range of responsible researchers - from system theorists to financial analysts to economists. Why this is a problem particularly relevant to technical communicators, what you need to know about it, and how it will change our future are discussed.