The recent 'good news' we've been hearing has popped up in a number of threads here recent and it also had me wondering. Nothing significant has changed and yet there's an unwarrented number of new happy faces.

Over on Y2K Today, Ed Meagher doesn't seem to be going along with the recent 'party line'. See the article he published today (Oct 15) at:

http://www.y2ktoday.com/modules/home/default.asp?id=424

Of all the theories I've heard on this, his seems to make the most sense. What do you think?

Arnie

-- Arnie Rimmer (arnie_rimmer@usa.ner), October 16, 1998

Answers

Makes perfect sense to me, from a PR standpoint. Dismissing the argument that misleading the public will only lead to greater panic and anger when the truth finally comes out will be the ultimate folly of this administration. There will be a great cry throughout the land, and plenty of blame to go around, but the Great Deception and Spin Control Campaign of '98 will blow up in '99. I expect hell will break loose then. My crystal ball says so.

Here's a great quote from Ed Meagher's other editorial referenced at the end of the above-cited article (which is about the NERC report, and is another must read). I've added it to my presentation:

The media remain woefully ignorant about Y2K and consistently fail to ask the right questions of those who choose to try and baffle us with waffle and spin. That will all change in the next few months as the extent of the crisis begins to unfold.

"Baffle us with waffle and spin"--pure poetry.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), October 16, 1998.

Just one little point to make: With indeed nothing having significantly changed, in actuality therefore with each passing days the news gets progressively WORSE! There is no extension of the Y2K deadline (actually deadlineS: fiscal year rollovers next year, GPS rollover in Aug of next year, etc.). So, for instance, to note that as of TODAY there is not a single Y2K compliant bank, electric utility, telecomm, etc., etc., is WORSE NEWS than a month ago ... and in a month from now, when this is STILL the case, the news will be all that much worse still! (In fact, one might conjecture that the "how bad" rating of Y2K gets worse EXPONENTIALLY as time marches on....)

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), October 16, 1998.

Mr Meager is totally correct. As someone who works in an industry driven by the need to create in seconds a perception that will linger far longer (advertising) I see this spin so clearly.

We are looking at a feel good campaign of disinformation specifically targeted at creating a perception that there is no need to panic.

You're gonna see banks within the very, very near future running feel good print, radio and TV spot ads, in branch posters, brochures, etc. They have to or the house of cards will fall.

I think they're 180% off in their strategy, but then, I know the truth. Most people will buy this and become complacent. They will only see those who are preparing as overreacting. And, in the end, they will panic. The government is creating a self fulfilling prophecy, not Y2k or the "alarmists".

In the grand scheme of Y2k things, Perception IS Reality and reality will begin to set in within the next 3 to 6 months.

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 16, 1998.