tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Aug 18 21:56:27 1998
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Re: KLBC++: Questions on {jatlh} {ghom} etc
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC++: Questions on {jatlh} {ghom} etc
- Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 00:59:24 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
- Priority: NORMAL
On Sun, 16 Aug 1998 16:33:53 -0700 (PDT) "Dawut [Dave]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Stardate 9808.16
>
> Greetings.
>
> Dawut here, responding to the reply of charghwI'.
> charghwI', qatlho'qa'.
> //me then charghwI'
> >> ratlh vaghvatlh Hut jajmey.
> >
> >qaSpa' nuq ratlh vaghvatlh Hut jajmey?
>
> Hegh wo'vam qoj pum chal qoj pagh.
> That's a countdown to the year 2000.
>
> DaHjaj, ratlh vaghvatlh cha' jajmey.
> Today, 502 days remain.
wIchna' neH 'oHbej lotqoqvam'e'. yIQub!
jaj mI' lo'be' HochHom *software*.
jaj mI' lo'chugh *software* vaj jaj mI' lo'be' HochHom
*software's math*.
jaj mI' lo'chugh *software's math* vaj roD *serial* jaj mI' lo'.
DIS cha'SaD SaHbe' *serial* jaj mI'.
SKI:
Y2K is a myth perpetuated by highly paid consultants who are
highly paid to exaggerate the potential scope of the problem.
This financial incentive makes their descriptions highly
suspect, even though they appeal to humans who do not understand
the technology. They argue that dates have been stored by
computers as two decimal digits and when they roll over to "00"
everything will fall apart. Meanwhile:
1. Most software doesn't use dates.
2. Most software that uses dates does no math on the dates.
3. Most software that uses math on the dates uses serial date
numbers to represent the dates. These are binary numbers
counting the number of days from an arbitrary zero point some
time in the past. These serial date numbers do not roll over in
the year 2,000.
4. Only dates stored as "packed decimal" format or "character"
format would represent dates as two digit decimal numbers. Any
programmer that would use these formats for a date which would
be used in some kind of math equation should be
simultaneously flogged and burned at the stake and his ashes
should be urinated on in public. In 1973, when I studied COBOL,
one of the few programming languages which actually ALLOWED
"packed decimal" data types, I was taught to never use that data
type for anything but a phone number, social security number,
serial number or other such NON MATH RELATED number. It is
inefficient for data storage (using a byte capable of recording
numbers from 0 to 256 to instead store two digits from 0 to 9)
and for computation (since they have to be converted from packed
decimal to binary, do the math, then reconvert it from binary to
packed decimal).
5. Most of the infinitessimally small number of programs
stupidly using packed decimal format for dates in math equasions
don't actually make any programming decisions based upon those
date numbers. They are used for reports which are then read by
people. I credit people with being able to look at the reports
and say, "Oh. Zeros. I get it," and still make appropriate
decisions.
6. I most passionately believe that any company which was such
an early adopter of computer technology as to use programming
languages which even INCLUDE packed decimal as a data type and
hire programmers stupid enough to use that data type for dates
and then do math based on those dates and then make programmed
decisions based upon those dates, and then doesn't upgrade or
maintain their software for years DESERVES TO GO UP IN FLAMES!
Consider it a Darwinian filter designed to destroy stupid
companies. We will be a stronger nation for being rid of them!
So THERE. I SAID IT. AND I'M *GLAD* I SAID IT! AND IF I GET HALF
A CHANCE, I'LL SAY IT *AGAIN*! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!
Yes. I do have an opinion about the Y2K hoax.
> qatlho'qa'.
>
> *****
> Dawut (Dave)
> [email protected]
> [email protected]
> ICQ: 5051098
>
> ______________________________________________________
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>
charghwI'