Okay, the year 2000 is finally coming up. What exactly does that mean? Does it mean a prosperous future for all of the human race? Maybe. Does it mean complete destruction of the world thrown down by the Gods to cause armageddon? I really doubt that. Does it mean the new millenium...?
All right, I know what you're thinking, "Yeah! what else would it be? It's the year 2000 so it's a new millenium! The end of a century, the end of a millenium!" Well here's what fact has decided rather than false truth. The year 2000 is nothing more than another year in the 20th century. Granted that it's the last year in the century and millenium but it isn't the first year.
What proof do I have? The most obvious proof is the timelines in just about any encyclopedia. Every century started with a year ending in xx01. What exactly does that mean? The 3rd century started in the year 201 AD and ended in 300 AD. 16th century - 1501-1600 AD, 19th century - 1801-1900 AD & the 20th century 1901-????. I don't think history would change itself just to make 2000 the new century. Especially since a century is EXACTLY 100 years, why would it be 99 years?
The exact same principal applies to milleniums. The first millenium was from the year 1-1000, the second, which we are currently in, is from the years 1001-2000. The millenium ENDS in the year 2000. It doesn't begin until the year 2001. You know, that movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey? Not something by chance, I might say.
So there. You are officially educated. If you don't believe me, well, I don't care, I know the truth and you don't. If you don't believe me, go speak to a historian at a local university. The new millenium begins in the year 2001. Got it? Good.
Okay, what the hell caused all my caring so much about advertising that the millenium doesn't begin until 2001? Oh let me see. First because naive people get kind of annoying and they can get in trouble that way. The other thing is that I am in the high school graduating class of 2001. Does that make sense now?
So here's to all of the MTV VJs, the talk show hosts, advertising companies, naive school presidents, all of Hollywood and the every single ignorant American citizen. Y2K is not the millenium. I've said my worth and leave it to you to continue the campaign.
-KLicK53
Guest writer from Anime Rec Centre
Anti-Y2K Information Society
A Division of Noisy Russian Productions
Copyright 1999
When Fools Speak Out
Y2K is coming up really fast and as you may know, the only thing it means is the miniscule possibility of system crashes across the globe, but most, if not all, systems are ready for Y2K. But that's not what I'm here to speak about. In the June 1999 issue of Imagine's PC Gamer Magazine, a reader wrote in to the magazine to "correct" a mistake that was made by the letters editors. Here is the letter submitted to PCG:
Great magazine -- your reviews are always very accurate. I don't want to be a bitch, but I do want to correct a mistake you made in the April 1999 issue, where you wrote, "Okay, let's get this straight: 1999 is not the final year of the century, and 2000 is not the first year of the new millennium. The 21st century doesn't begin until the year 2001!"
Hmmm...I'm sure I'm the one millionth person to scratch my head about this one. 1999 is the final year of the century and 2000 is the first year of the new millennium. Once the year 2000 begins, the first day will be the first day of the new millenniu. Anyway, keep up the good work.
- Brad, via the Internet
Heh heh...If there's something I've learned in my time LIVING, it's not to say stupid things or at least trying to back up your arguments with PROVEN fact. However, I must commend PCG for their response to Mr. Brad. Not only was it well supported, but it completely made a fool of somebody that was attempting at making a fool of PCG themselves! Talk about major shut-downs!!!
How can we put this tactfully, Brad? You're wrong, wrong wrong! You're in pretty good company, though -- those cute little talking M&Ms on TV seem to believe that 2000 is the first year of the new millennium, too. But think of it this way: If we gave you four apples -- no, wait; let's atleast pretend this has something to do with PC gaming...
if we gave you four coconut monkeys and asked you to count 'em, you wouldn't call the first one "zero" and then count "0, 1, 2, 3" then say you had three coconut monkeys. You'd call the first monkey "one" and count "1, 2, 3, 4." It's the same with the years in a millennium. A millennium is a period of 1000 years, right? So the first year of the first millennium was 1, and the last year was 1000. That means the first year of our current millennium was 1001, and the last will be 2000. So the new millennium doesn't start until January 1, 2001. Don't trust us? Check witht he United States Naval Observatory; there's a FAQ on its web site (http://www.usno.navy.mil). Or listen to our pal Steve who says:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Every time I hear someone on TV or radio say that this is the last year of the millennium, I want to scream. Finally, someone has gotten it right!
-Steve, via the Internet
I feel that we at AYIS are some what humbled by the PCG editors. They've shown there smarts in the past by their gaming choices and now they've jumped up with this! And to all the Steves: come join the ranks of the AYIS! We need educated people to help staff this society. To all the Brads in the world: DON'T YOU FEEL JUST SOOOO STUPID!!! =) But now, you have been educated...welcome.
Slacker
Writer from TFC forum
AYIS columnist
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