"DST bug" in computers expected to cause widespread disruption

By etee on Mar 9, 2007 | In Humor, Weakly Garlic | Send feedback »

A new bug in the software that runs many computers, which many feel rivals the dreaded "Y2K" or "Millenium" bug in its ability to wreak havoc, is expected to be triggered this Sunday.

Called the "DST Bug", it is the result of a simple, yet profound, computer programming error: the failure to consider, and provide error-correcting for, a massive buffer underrun in the collective minds of Congress, and the assumption that the transition to and from Daylight Savings Time (DST) would remain consistent through the years. The error was triggered 2 years ago, when the GOP-led Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Since then software companies have largely sat on their duffs until just recently, when a flurry of activitiy to provide workaround patches commenced.

The effects of this bug range will mainly be felt in churches and restaurants across the nation, as a lot of people are going to wake up an hour later than they are supposed to. This fall, however, we will witness a scientific breakthrough, as some tasks will be completed before they are even commenced.

Reminder: if you are in the USofA, don't forget to set your clocks forward 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday.