I watch lots of news reports on Y2K -- both on the internet and in print. Is anyone besides me getting sick of that paragraph about 1/3 of the way into EVERY news item which explains the Y2K problem for those who don't know what it is? You know. The paragraph that explains why they used two digit years to save money. This paragraph is easy to spot by scanning the page for "00" or "1900". Is there any chance that someone who has no knowledge of the problem will decide to read the news item? Maybe so. It's like we would have to read the following in every piece on President Clinton: Clinton is the President of the United States. In our form of government, the president is the top post in the Executive Branch. The United States of America is the most developed nation in the Western Hemisphere, a large portion of the globe (half, exactly) which is to the west of the Eastern Hemishpere. President Clinton was elected by a vote of the people.

-- Jeff Morris (jbmorris@cvtv.net), July 22, 1998

Answers

Actually, Clinton was elected by a vote of the electoral college. He lost the popular vote.

j

-- j (yada@yada.com), July 22, 1998.

I didn't say WHICH people.

-- Jeff Morris (jbmorris@cvtv.net), July 22, 1998.

Love it! And yes, I AM sick of reading that blasted paragraph in every single article!!

-- Faith Weaver (faith-weaver@usa.net), July 22, 1998.

But you see, in the present world system...we are all children with no long term memory,...just like the so-called leaders...and we must be told the story over and over...

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), July 22, 1998.

I have been sick to death of that paragraph for months and months. Lately, though, I have had a change of heart. I now use it as a barometer of awareness. I am not going to get too worried about panic until I STOP seeing it.

Regards,

Will

-- Will Huett (WIllhuett@usa.net), July 23, 1998.

At first, I kind of laughed at Gary North's continued aggravation with the "planes falling from the sky" phrase that inevitably is inserted into every article on Y2K along with the obligatory paragraph that explains the issue (usually ignoring the embedded systems issue, by the way). But now, the "planes falling from the sky" phrase is driving me around the bend, too. Last night, our local tv news did a story on Y2K, completely introductory, and, sure enough, the opening line included, "planes falling from the sky" was included! It's as if an effect of Y2K will be to arm thousands of people with shoulder-held rocket launchers to gun down aircraft by local airports. The phrase is ridiculous and trivializes the issue.

-- Leo (Leonarcc@ix.netcom.com), July 23, 1998.

Good one, Leo! At least they have gotten away from the elevators and our beloved damned station wagons. Besides that, I don't think that a typical Y2K embedded system problem in an airliner would make it "fall from the sky". More of a spiral, I should think. Who knows? Might even put them ON TIME! Then I'd have to wait around the airport for an extra hour, since my wife always leaves an hour late to pick me up... and is usually right on time.

-- Jeff Morris (jbmorris@cvtv.net), July 23, 1998.

Add coffepots, microwave ovens & VCR's........recipe for complacency.

-- Enya (enya@rmi.net), July 29, 1998.