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Have you hugged your Y2K today? by Erik J. Martin When you're bitten by the flu bug, your body gets worn down and sick. You're sidelined for a short time with fever, chills and exhaustion, and downright inconvenienced by a runny nose, persistent cough and head-clouding congestion. The upside to all this misery is that your immune system is mustering up a major defense to fight the virus that will create antibodies to attack and prevent the bug from returning. Ultimately, your body wins the war and is stronger and wiser for having fought it. If we apply this biology lesson to the Millennium Bug, then surely all of our efforts to fight it should result in a booster shot to the world. Yes, we're going to have to suffer through the bothersome aches and pains of spending time, money and energy to fix the problem. But in the end, we'll be a stronger and wiser civilization for having persevered against this digital scourge. Sound like a hollow and hapless halftime speech by a losing football coach? Just consider the many upsides of the Y2K crisis: A boost to the economy. Experts are predicting that more than $1 trillion will be invested into correcting the Y2K problem worldwide. While the fix is certainly cutting into company and government budgets, a myriad of businesses are profiting from all the Year 2000 related revenues they're generating. Computer sales alone are expected to top a record $55 billion this year, as consumers scramble to replace their outdated systems and take advantage of plummeting PC prices. Y2K service and consulting firms could pull in a cool $20 billion in '99, say some prognosticators. And American banks are beginning to stockpile $50 billion in extra cash in case panicky account holders choose to withdraw money as the calendar nears 2000: if the banks -- which one report estimates are nearing a 98 percent Y2K compliance rate nationwide -- do a good job of convincing customers that their money is safe, that surplus in savings could boost the country's fiscal morale and prompt lenders to lower their interest rates. An increase in jobs. Y2K has created more than a cottage industry -- it's put technology jobs high in demand and is helping to weed out talented workers from the wannabes. Now, some of the most sought-after jobs include computer programmers, analysts and technicians, data recovery experts, IT consultants, contingency planners, Y2K lawyers and judges, and security experts. Improved technology. The Millennium Bug has forced corporations in all fields of industry to upgrade old, outdated computer systems and invest in newer, Y2K-compliant technologies -- an expensive but necessary undertaking that should mean improved performance, products and services for customers and consumers. It's predicted that corporate America will spend hundreds of billions of dollars on computer-related research & development alone in the coming year. More R & D means enhanced technology and a better way of life in the future. Better cooperation between nations. Representatives from more than 120 countries attended a special United Nations meeting earlier this year to address the Year 2000 bug and its potential impact on the world. Immediately, regional committees were formed, goals were set, information was shared and future meetings planned. "Never before in the history of the U.N. has so much been done in one day," said Ahmad Kamal, the U.N. ambassador from Pakistan who chaired the one-day session. A quick response to a worldwide crisis. Considering that we've had a few decades to correct this date problem, it's pathetic that we've waited until the last minute to fix it. Yet, the efforts we've made in the last year to reset the Y2K clock demonstrate how efficient and industrious we humans truly are when faced with a high-pressure deadline. History taught us that America fought hard, scrimped, saved and shed blood to help Win World War II. Its investment in the war turned the United States into a superpower -- the richest industrial nation ever. Likewise, Y2K has taught us that, when forced to, we can react quickly to a crisis, avert catastrophe and overcome setbacks. We've learned not to take things for granted, to question technology and challenge it to improve, and to be prepared for the unexpected. Those who haven't yet incorporated these lessons and attempted to correct the problem will ultimately learn the hard way when Y2K bites back next year. So ask yourself: In the midst of all this apocalyptic panicking over the gray clouds of Y2K gathering on the horizon, have we become too nearsighted to see the silver lining beginning to peek through? As 2000 nears, that New Year's glass of celebration champagne, which once looked half empty, is beginning to look more like it's half full. 1999 Thomson Target Media Erik J. Martin is a freelance journalist who has penned a regular multimedia column for Screen Magazine and has written for a variety of other publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Coverstory and The X-Files Official Magazine. He lives in Oak Lawn, Illinois, with his wife, son, and the Millennium Bug, which he is still trying to exterminate from his PC. Certainly no self-proclaimed technowhiz, Erik prides himself on being "an average guy with the same concerns and questions about Y2K as everyone else. My job? To get answers to those questions, and pass them along to you." Techno file index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA