Could it be that the present strike situation with General Motors offers and excellent preview of what may become the case with the Y2k situation. While the current gridlock of General Motors is not the result of a computer malfinction, it does seem to illustrate well the "ripple" effect so well discussed in the Yourdon's book. I find it interesting that no one in the media has made any such conection. Perhaps I am extrapolating too much, but I can see the same problem happening all throughout the economy as we approach the threshold of the Y2k disruptions. Am I crazy or is this a textbook case of the ripple effect ?

-- Alan Sneary (asnear1@tandy.com), June 26, 1998

Answers

Alan, If you're crazy then I must be committable!! I've been thinking that the GM strike (well timed just before the two week shutdown that normally comes each summer) has been perpetuated as a means to get into all the embedded factory floor systems and begin remediation and/or patching of these systems. How else will GM fix their factories without a shutdown of some sort. What corporate genius if they and the UAW have arranged a win-win settlement surrounding this well timed "strike"? Anybody out there have access to the production facilities that are closed to see if remediation is hurriedly taking place? BTW, the ripple effect of y2K is exactly the same as the current problem during the strike. Just too much concern for y2k on my behalf to think that this strike is not being used as an opportunity to remediate.

-- Stephen Moore (stlmoore@aol.com), June 27, 1998.