[Mountaindewed]

I was 6 at the time. I was too young to understand what was going on. I really am glad I was too young. I would have been very scared. I do remember my 1st grade teacher having us sit on the floor while she explained it to us. I didn’t really pay attention though. My parents didn’t talk about it in front of me. I don’t think they were all that worried.

I was just watching a documentary now, and I guess news reporters were telling people to go out and stockpile weapons, and that there would have been terrorist attacks, and inmates escaping from prisons, and dog packs. What was creepy though was that the only reason there wasn’t a problem, was because Microsoft knew ahead of time so they fixed the problem. So it’s not like people were overreacting, it’s that Microsoft fixed the issue. Because if they hadn’t, something would have happened.

[healingme4me]

I remember stockpiling some cash as noone knew if it would glitch the banks..

[unaluna]

Microsoft didnt "fix it". Figure, microsoft at the time maybe had responsibility for 1/1 millionth of all computers or programs? Thats how many microsoft would have fixed.

People all over the world worked on computers and programs for at least five years before y2k to make sure nothing would break.

I didn’t worry about it. I didn’t do anything to prepare for it and fortunately it all worked out. Fun question! I hadn’t thought about this being an interesting part of “history” now.

[seeker33]

I was 12 at the time so I didn't understand much either. I heard that it might be an issue but it was theoretical. I only read it somewhere on the internet (my family was one of the few who had internet at the time). It wasn't mentioned in the mainstream media here as far as I can remember or if it was, there definitely weren't instructions to prep or anything like that. No one I knew at the time took it very seriously. But I was just a child at the time.
I thought if something happened it would be exciting, I didn't understand the potential risks.

I had a "milennium bug", that's what they called these toys

when you through it down on the floor, it would say "happy 2000!"

pretty pointless really, but I guess it was fun and amusing they had those for sale

I didn't do anything to prepare for it though

not like 2012. I really believed that was happening

[piggy momma]

I was 26 at the time. My church had a huge New Year's Eve bash - I remember tickets were $100 each. A group of friends and I all went and had a great time, drank too much. The next morning I had to be at an event for a grand opening of a new business I had been hired at. I was tired, but it was great.

[Mountaindewed]

Originally Posted by raging vortex

I didn't do anything to prepare for it though

not like 2012. I really believed that was happening

Yeah that’s why I’m glad I don’t remember Y2K. Because it seemed a lot worse than 2012. I was scared out of my mind from 2008 right up until December 21st. It was so bad. I was so obsessed something would happen. I was having multiple therapists reassure me, staff from treatment centers, family. They were saying nothing would happen. I even wanted to call NASA and ask them about about it. I did contact an author though. I was scared shitless. I was literally not planning my life after December 21st. I got into a huge argument with my dad a couple nights before about something because I was so tense and nervous. Then nothing happened and this huge 4 year weight lifted off my chest.

I’ve been the complete opposite with my anxiety these past few years about stuff like that. I am not the same person. Now with all this talk about missiles and nuclear war, I’m all like “eh, what happens, happens. If it’s my time it’s my time.”

[Lefty Seven]

I saw

at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco.

[Symbolic]

I worked in the technology sector, so I knew exactly what was happening, and just enjoyed the New Year since I knew absolutely nothing would happen. It was blown way out of proportion by the media since panic sells.

Originally Posted by Mountaindewed

Yeah that’s why I’m glad I don’t remember Y2K. Because it seemed a lot worse than 2012. I was scared out of my mind from 2008 right up until December 21st. It was so bad. I was so obsessed something would happen. I was having multiple therapists reassure me, staff from treatment centers, family. They were saying nothing would happen. I even wanted to call NASA and ask them about about it. I did contact an author though. I was scared shitless. I was literally not planning my life after December 21st. I got into a huge argument with my dad a couple nights before about something because I was so tense and nervous. Then nothing happened and this huge 4 year weight lifted off my chest.

I’ve been the complete opposite with my anxiety these past few years about stuff like that. I am not the same person. Now with all this talk about missiles and nuclear war, I’m all like “eh, what happens, happens. If it’s my time it’s my time.”

I remember unplugging everything and just waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting..

for something that wasn't going to happen

it feels stupid now, but back then it felt so real

I was the complete oppositte though

when I realised 2012 wasn't going to happen and it was all just a theory, I became really depressed about it and upset.

I suppose I thought.. well, easy way out

[Memories of Silence]

I was seven, and I knew it was about computers, but I pictured big, pixelated bugs that weren’t real, and they were red, blue and yellow. I wasn’t scared because I was too young to understand the damage that could be done if computers stopped working.

I thought it was mostly a joke to scare people with. It’s funny, because I didn’t believe it when I was seven, but I did sort of believe something would happen in 2012, when I should have known better.

[Nammu]

I was poor and thought y2k was a rich persons worry. Like the stock market would be affected. I made sure to have cash on hand in case debt cards didn't work and filled up my car I case the pumps wouldn't work but mostly didn't worry about it. 2012 didn't phase me at all. Trump though, he worries me plenty 2008 worried me and trump could lead us right back there.

[Mountaindewed]

Supposedly there’s something called The 2038 problem. Which is similar to Y2K except that the problem is unfixable. There’s a wiki article, but there’s too much computer jargon for me to understand it. I heard about it from some guy on Reddit. I don’t really care though. 2038 is so far away.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by Mountaindewed

Supposedly there’s something called The 2038 problem. Which is similar to Y2K except that the problem is unfixable. There’s a wiki article, but there’s too much computer jargon for me to understand it. I heard about it from some guy on Reddit. I don’t really care though. 2038 is so far away.

Omg! See DEEP IMPACT wiki article about the spacecraft. This could also explain why some planes just drop out of the sky.

Im not surprised. I was working at a university computer installation, and they were EXTREMELY lax about following proper procedure to ensure that junk did not enter production. This was at the end of my 30 years in the business, and may i say, i never saw anything like it at any business before. You would expect a university to be MORE stringent about following rules, but they felt they were too smart for rules. As such, yep they got burned, time and again.

It is freakin scary. But this may be why the nytimes reported this week that there were not enough college profs for all the students who wanted to take classes. They may be gearing up for another y2k type changeover effort for 2038. Its fixable the same way y2k was fixable - make "it" bigger.

Its funny - my dad in the factory would have time off for car model year changeover every summer when i was growing up. Now its computer year changeover!

I hope they dont start drafting 70 year old computer programmers!

[TishaBuv]

I checked into an expensive hotel for a New Years celebration because if Y2K really happened we would be living it up in a nice hotel and maybe not even have to pay the bill.

[WishfulThinker66]

I was 33 with three kids at the time. I was pretty much non-plussed by the whole thing. I looked upon it as an overhyped ridiculous scare that had all the components of a conspiracy. It was not like the computer world suddenly realised there might be a problem. They knew the end of the millenium was coming from the time these things were first built. Besides, even if those things automated by computers shut down it was not like we couldn't get on with our lives as we did beforehand. Banks for instance could - and still can - be operated by people power, etc. Nope, I never even shed the smallest of worries. Nothing was going to happen and even if it did it wasn't going to be the end of the world.

My then husband at the time however was ridiculously terrified. He insisted on stock piling food and water. I assume too he did the same with money. I was actually super irritated at the time by his behaviour. I thought it was idiotic and going too far.

So when the night came I partied like it was 1999 and went to bed. I slept soundly knowing I would wake up to the very same world there had been the day before.

[MickeyCheeky]

Thank you for making this thread, Mountaindewed! I was too young to even know about it. So I couldn't panick like I probably would have. Sending many hugs to everyone

[divine1966]

I wasn’t phased by it at all