'Daylight Savings Bugs' Loom 403
An anonymous reader writes "ZDNet has front page coverage of the looming daylight savings changeover, and the bugs that may crop up this year. With the extension of daylight savings time by four weeks, some engineers and programmers are warning that unprepared companies will experience serious problems in March. While companies like Microsoft have already patched their software, Gartner is warning that bugs in the travel and banking sectors could have unforeseen consequences in the coming months. ' In addition, trading applications might execute purchases and sales at the wrong time, and cell phone-billing software could charge peak rates at off-peak hours. On top of that, the effect is expected to be felt around the world: Canada and Bermuda are conforming to the U.S.-mandated change, and time zone shifts have happened in other locales as well.'" Is this just more Y2K doomsaying, or do you think there's a serious problem here?
rates? (Score:5, Funny)
and cell phone-billing software could charge peak rates at off-peak hours
Aiyeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cool (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Things you should know. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Linux? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Moo (Score:2, Funny)
Worse than Y2K because of Java (Score:4, Funny)
There are nearly 50 java instances on some of our hosts. The filthy little bastards hide everywhere.
Fortunately the fix can be automated and is very fast to install.
Using java's extensive built-in patch management and version management capabilities, of course.
Re:no need o worry (Score:5, Funny)
Everything is fine in Australia? Remember folks, this announcement is coming from the country that gave us The Wiggles.
Re:no need o worry (Score:2, Funny)
I take it that you don't work for a "The sky is going to fall unless you get 500 copies of our Timezone Prevention Software" Vendor?
When I'm Benevolent Fascist Dictator (Score:3, Funny)
Remember you'll never have to reset your wrist watch again. NEVER. And when gets assassinated by in at 11:34 you will know exactly where you were at that exact moment. No calculations needed.
And then after that I'll get everyone to switch to metric.
Amazon (Score:3, Funny)
Tell that to Amazon [slashdot.org].
Re:Things you should know. (Score:5, Funny)
MS-DOS is the same way. Apple ProDOS too.
Not only that, (Score:3, Funny)
Re:y2k = media working for once (Score:4, Funny)
Changing daylight savings time or y2k will be childsplay compared to the Year 2038 32-bit time_t overflow [wikipedia.org]. That is a really big problem with no easy fix. 32-bit times/dates are in everything from VCRs and microwaves to servers and desktops. 2038 will be everything that Y2K wasn't.
In principle, Linux and friends can fix this by redefining time_t to 64-bit - but lots of communication protocols and even file formats like tar use 32-bit dates. Admittedly we have 30 years to fix it, but we will need all 30.
Herding cats (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Get rid of daylight saving altogether (Score:1, Funny)
Of COURSE it does! DST is so you can experience the joys of jet lag without actually having to board a jet!
As of now, though, DST still doesn't give you the pleasure of of taking off your shoes, standing in line, going through x-ray machines, and possibly getting strip searched. But don't worry, the Department of Homelame Security and the NSA are working on it. Soon ALL the benefits of airline travel will be available to everyone!
-mcgrew
Re:Ahem, Not Exactly (Score:3, Funny)
Bite your tongue!
Re:Things you should know. (Score:4, Funny)
> online. Multiply 30 min x 1500 = 45,000 minutes, or 750 hours
Yeah, someone needs to tell my local cinema about that. They only show films for a few weeks, but with 1000 people in each showing, and the film lasting 90 minutes, that's 90,000 minutes, or nearly 9 weeks! There's going to be a lot of disappointed people...