Geoff.Sturdy (10/25/2016)
Gary - the two digit year was born out if the need to conserve memory in early systems - back in the late 70s /early 80s memory was expensive and every byte counted (anyone remember 77 levels in Cobol? ) so while we (the industry) "did it to ourselves" there was a goo reason for it
A reason but arguable either way. We had this discussion at college (17-18 year olds) with a lecturer in the late 1980s. The greneral consensus was that the risk coupled with the inevitable cost of resolving would likely prove more unsavoury than the cost of a four digit year. That was before the inflated costs of "Y2K Consultants" was even imagined.
The real embarrassment are those tales of people creating programs utilising two digit years alongside those working on a Y2K project.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!