People were afraid of malevolent computer viruses that would sweep the world and destroy information and programs in the space of a few hours. There was widespread fear that dependence on computers would produce a millennial catastrophe, as hospitals, airplanes, power grids, and communications would all grind to a halt when 1999 became 2000.
潜力是诱人的，但也是令人害怕的。个人电脑的连接产生了有关新世界潜在危险的恐惧。人们害怕恶意的、在几个小时内横扫世界并摧毁信息和程序的计算机病毒。许多人担心在1999年变成2000年的时候，由于依赖电脑，医院、飞机、电网以及通讯都会陷于瘫痪而产生千年灾难。