Year 100 problem facts for kids
The Year 100 problem (also called the Y1C problem or Y1C bug) was a computer issue that worried people in Taiwan. It happened because some older computer programs were designed to only use two digits for the year. These programs used the Minguo calendar system, which is different from the calendar most of the world uses.
People were concerned that after December 31, 2010, these computers might get confused. They feared that important systems like electricity and banking could stop working. This was expected to happen right at midnight on January 1, 2011.
However, this problem mainly affected the government in Taiwan, as they used the Minguo calendar more. Most private companies were not affected as much. News reports and other media made many people worried. Because of this, companies and government groups in Taiwan had to check and update their computer systems.
Preparing for the Y1C problem had a big impact on the computer industry. When the year changed to 100 (which was 2011 in the Minguo calendar), no major computer failures happened. People still discuss if this was because of all the preparation or if the problem was not as big as expected.
What Was the Year 100 Problem?
The Year 100 problem was about how computers handled dates. In the Minguo calendar, the year 2011 was actually year 100. Taiwan started using the Minguo calendar in 1912. Older computer programs were built to only recognize years with two digits, like '99' for Minguo year 99 (2010). They weren't ready for '100'.
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