There is a magazine devoted entirely to prognostication on the future: "The Futurist". The current issue has NOT ONE WORD concerning y2k, bank runs, martial law, mass starvation, etc. These self-described experts on the future paint an entirely rosy picture of the next century, better living through technology. In the pockets of their corporate masters, I suppose.

-RC

-- Runway Cat (runway_cat@hotmail.com), December 11, 1998

Answers

Maybe they see the future through foggy, rose-colored glasses?

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 11, 1998.

If we're all wrong we'll just schlepp on over to Hardliner's Asylum anyway and have a grand old time.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 11, 1998.

The future is going to be very rosy, for those who earn it.

We're about to have the opportunity TO earn that..

-- Leo (leo_champion@hotmail.com), December 11, 1998.

"The Futurist" had an excellent article on Y2K in its May 1998 issue. That article, and one by Rick Cowles on the power grid in another publication that same month, are how I realized that Y2K would not be taken care of in time.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 11, 1998.

It sounds to me like Futurist is as schizoid as I am about Y2K. This prepare for the worst and hope for the best is driving me to Asylum!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), December 11, 1998.

About 15 years ago, I was a Futurist subscriber. The hierarchy and contributors were all academic and government pukes. Looks like nothing there has changed.

-- c (c@c.c), December 11, 1998.

There are 270 million Americans. Less than 1% ' get it', regardless of if they are 'futurist' or 'past its' or 'present its'. 'nuff said.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), December 11, 1998.

"It sounds to me like Futurist is as schizoid as I am about Y2K."

I often wonder about magazines that published Y2K one month, then not a peep the next and continue on as if Y2K didn't exist. Wired Magazine is one of them. It's where I "got it". But then I wonder how they'd sell thier subscriptions if they kept on with the Y2K articles and let that reflect on the rest of the magazine. Most people think this is all crazy extremist stuff, would they continue buying the magazine? If they'd lose their subscriptions, they'd fold, wouldn't they? Ofcourse they could maintain a devoted month to month colum, a sort of progress check, after all, it's they economy that's at stake...oops, did I mention the economy? Oh but that wouldn't work, they'd scare people to death and cause bank runs! And THEN they'd really have to fold. Oh well.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 11, 1998.

Rob - I admit I move amongst a lot of networking and CS types, but I see a lot of other people too. Haven't met more than a couple in the last month that had no clue about Y2K. Commonest plan - pull all money out of bank about 1st of Dec next year. Hope someone talks them out of that - else we will see withdrawel limits - imposed by the banks. (When you signed the papers for starting your account the bank reserved the right to limit withdrawal amounts or freeze your account for a period of time - I have seen periods of up to 90 days for some accounts. Go read them - I read everything I sign.)

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), December 12, 1998.

Paul: Yes, I also know about the current laws and withdrawals and the fine print whenever I sign anything...learned the hard way when I was much younger and am very careful since. Anyway, the only point I wanted to make on this thread is that being a ___ or not being a ___ doesn't have much of a correlation to actually being a preparing get it. (fill in the ____ with 'futurists' or any other you want). Just my opinion.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), December 12, 1998.