The Y2K Problem!!! What is Y2k? In one sentence, Y2k is "...the inability of computer programs at the year 2000 to interpret the correct century from a recorded or calculated date having only two digits to indicate the year".[Center for Computer Systems Engineering] What does that mean? It means that many of our computer systems, although sensitive to date and time, have been programmed with a piece missing -- the century portion of the date. These systems were created by humans, who are used to dealing with dates in context using a shorthand that omits the century. (What car do you drive? A '92 Ford, or a '96 Chevy. When did you graduate?