I compared the progress reports for Montana's y2k project. They have a chart showing 'target' versus 'actual' number of systems that are y2k compliant. It looks like they are trying to hide the fact that they are slipping.

Sept 1998 - News & Views 1st quarter target = 226 1st quarter actual =237 2nd quarter target = 252 2nd quarter actual=261 July target = 272 July actual =264 Aug target = 284

Oct 1998 - News & Views 1st quarter target =225 1st quarter actual =238 2nd quarter target = 251 2nd quarter actual=262 July target = 266 July actual =269 Aug target = 275 Aug actual =275

July is where they started fudging. They would not have made the original target. So they changed it. Are your states doing the same kind of reporting? What about the private sector?

-- areseejay (areseejay@aol.com), October 09, 1998

Answers

areseejay,

I don't know what my state is doing about Y2k. Hawaii is the only state out of 50 that does not list an email addy for its state Y2k coordinator, Barbara Tom and the only state of 50 that does not have a web page to inform its citizens of the state progress, if any. All of my info is gained from surfing Y2k sites and forums. I live on maui and I checked our local newspaper (yes, we have 1 newspaper) to see if they may begin Y2k reporting soon since Oct 19-23rd have been declared "Y2k awareness week". The answer was a definite "No". Unless I could give them an "event" to report, there would be no coverage of Y2k. In the absence of coverage, I can only conclude the news from the state is not good. It must be so bad, we will not hear about Y2k until after the elections. If there are any other Hawaii residents aware of Y2k and have any news, please contact me. I am seriously considering relocation for my daughter and myself. It is very frightening to imagine being caught on an island that is unprepared and dependent on outside food, fuel, goods, etc. Our state economy is dependent on the visitor industry for 70-75% of its income. How many of you will come to Hawaii for vacation in the months leading up to and after Jan. 1, 2000? I would enjoy hearing from any participants of this forum for suggestions or opinions.

Mahalo, Susan

-- susan (mainaga@webtv.net), October 10, 1998.

I should have put more info into my report. The state still has 430 more systems to complete. They want to complete these 430 systems in the next 10 months so there is time for testing. From Jan 1998 to Aug 1998, only 71 systems were completed.

I have the state news letters here at home. Will continue to moniter progress. If they changed their targets once, they will do it again until eventually they have to admit defeat.

-- areseejay (areseejay@aol.com), October 11, 1998.

Shucks Susan, at least you don't have to worry about freezing to death. Montana can have some really fierce winters. RCJ - the thing to worry about is not whether or not the state is changing the target dates - the thing to worry about is whether or not they are working on all the other systems. If group A is supposed to fix 3 systems, group B has 5 smaller systems, etc. rather than groups 1 thru 704 each having one system to fix and report on - then the start date for some systems is being pushed back. That is where it starts to hit the fan in a lot of these large interlocking projects - and the next thing you know the whole thing gets cancelled because the boss who caused the delays has blamed incompetence on the next level down as the problem - so he gets promoted and the project gets cancelled. (Sorry if I sound a little bitter here - it has happened to me.) I don't think they can cancel their Y2K fixes, but you can bet a lot of people are just dying to figure out a way to do just that - and that sort of silly crap is why a lot of programmers give up and start teaching or something.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), October 13, 1998.

Paul, I do not believe the state govt will finish in time. I do not believe the federal govt will finish in time. I have warned the people most important to me. We are preparing for 'at least a MAJOR recession'.

I have also been caught in the tides of 'politics' when I all I really wanted to do was build systems that would help my users.

I have not always agreed with some/most of your previous posts, however you have made me think, and that is good.

Keep on truckin, RCJ.

-- areseejay (areseejay@aol.com), October 14, 1998.