Good People, I am NOT a troll. I am a human who got scared & reached out to the only place I have found to do so. If I offended anyone, I'm sorry. But to all who responded to my 1st posts with compassion, empathy, knowledge, & a "Welcome Aboard", I say, "Thank You". I'm one of us too. I just know this situation is inevitable to happen, & I'm scared, for myself, my mom, my grandmother, "my cozy leisure" to play on the internet, etc. Also, my posts were not flame, or spychologically designed to get hate-mail. Or called names. I am totally serious about using this site to receive knowledge to prepare. I was just talking freely as I do on IRC. I'm sorry I mentioned IQ; Will you all forgive me? By the way, I am awake at 2:00 am writing this, & crying from some of the rejection letters. I have prayed also. I just don't know what to make of all this. It's too big, too incomprehensible as to what results it may bring. I keep getting visions of riots, & seeing killings happen right before me over food. Humans turned animalistic like a wild pack of dogs, or something. I "see" windows busted out of buildings like the local grocery stores, raids on houses....man, Have I gone insane? How do I deal with these things in my own mind? And other people I have mentioned this Y2K to, don't even have a clue as to it's severity. And frankly, I dunno where to even start to convince them or educate them as to the projected situation. It's like I'm watching from behind the scenes a soap opera be played out, who's end can't be stopped. Is "doom" or death lurking over my shoulder? Furthermore, I don't believe in killing my fellow humans, "murder" for food? I guess I'm lucky to be in the south (USA) where the winter's aren't too bad, at least not crippled. Now, for the name-callers & those wanting "one-upmanship", get over it, I'm here to stay. Yes, I'm new to looking into this situation, but hey, weren't you once too? May God smile upon you all..& keep your family's in health & peace.

-- Randy (flembob@usa.net), December 15, 1998

Answers

Randy, you are NOT a troll. I don't think anyone here thought you were a troll.

The problem is that we have had problems on this forum with a troll/s. One called Jerry- there may be others, because Jerry doesn't always sign his name. Jerry is a 9 year old kid who has just learned four-letter words. He likes to impersonate other people and make a pain of himself.

That's where any talk of trolls would have come from. Randy, I empathise with you. I know exactly how you feel and I do not have ANYTHING against your having brought IQ into it. In fact, I understand what it is like. 150 is very impressive -one point higher than mine!- and if anything I probably respect you a little more because of it.

--Leo

-- Leo (leo_champion@hotmail.com), December 15, 1998.

Welcome Randy to the site of high IQs (I just pipped Leo at 151), whats an IQ point between posters, anyway it massages my ego.

It'll be a deepening recession rather than anarchy in my view and maybe some surprises, bad enough though.

-- Richard Dale (rdale@figroup.co.uk), December 15, 1998.

What is a troll?

-- gilda jessie morgan (jess@listbot.com), December 15, 1998.

Gilda, I don't know. It's something from fantasy. But it didn't sound like something nice to be called. Pictures of Trolls I have seen are ugly. And I'm not ugly, nor mean. Just concerned.

-- Randy (flembob@usa.net), December 15, 1998.

Randy, welcome to the crazy house, please find a seat and try to be comfortable. EVERYBODY here is freaking out, you're not the only one. As Leo said we've been infested by trolls lately, and maybe a few of the good folks here jumped to conclusions about you a little too quickly. Let it go and see it as a little character building excersize. Toughens the skin, you know. May be useful later...

If you've got a little money to spend, go to:

http://www.readyfory2k.com (or a bookstore)

That's a cousin website of this one where you can buy Ed Yourdon's books and videos and some other fine material for how to prepare your home. There are people who have a moral problem with others selling information about this problem. The way I see it you have a choice: you can spend lots of your time and energy surfing the web for this kind of info, and you will find it scattered around. Or, if you can afford it, you can plunk down 20 or 40 bucks and BUY this info in a neat package already researched by someone else. How much is your time worth? how much is your life and the lives of your loved ones worth?

I'm one of those people who has spent hundreds of hours in the past several months web surfing about this and I've learned a hell of a lot. I also enjoy philosophizing about it. However, I also spent a few bucks to buy some of the material. I don't have a moral problem with it.

Those visions of chaos that you describe are shared by others of us also. It can be tough to live with. There have been times when I was sitting on the subway (I live in New York City) on my way to or from work and I find my mind looking at people and trying to figure out if each of them is likely to live or die. Pretty sick. However, I made a deal with myself many years ago that I was going to live at least until 77 years old (I'm less than halfway there) so I'm finding that the old survival instinct is kicking in like it never has before, and no matter what happens, I intend to get through it.

It's tough at first, and it can be impossible to convince the people close to you. Don't try to bash them over the head with it. They will resist, I promise. They may call you names. It can be uncomfortable. Don't let it get to you. Just take a few breaths and decide how badly you think it will affect you, put your head down and move forward. You still have some time, though not as much as some folks seem to think. Just find your resolve and do what you gotta do. You may turn out to be one of the lucky ones...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), December 15, 1998.

Randy, Just out of curosity when did you first awaken to Y2K? I know when I first learned about it from my mother in law (3 mts. ago), I was OVERWHELMED. Barely slept for two weeks and y2k was all I could think about. I, too, thought I would go insane from it all. I just can't allow myself to let my mind run wild. The best medicine I have found is to prepare. Keep buying and storing and that eases some of my fears. If God should choose that I die from rioting, thieves, etc. I can't change it and so I decided not to let the fear of the unknown engulf me anymore. Take one day at a time and seriously prepare for myself, my family and extended family. Yes, even the preparations can be overwhelming and I am very fortunate that my spouse is very involved also. Find someone to talk with and share ideas, fears, etc. with each other. Give it to the Lord. He knows what lies ahead. Just as we are told in Scripture Matt. 6 don't worry about tomorrow because today has enough cares already. This board helped me so much in the beginning and I still visit this site everyday. Mary

-- Mary Howe (doesnotmatter@thistime.com), December 15, 1998.

Hey! I beat you all. My IQ is 151.143 (ducks the flying fruitcakes)

Randy, the only reason I said to leave your proof of IQ at the door is because some people don't like smart people to point it out to them. In my very first message I posted here, I mentioned something to the effect that only smart people could grasp the complexity and magnitude of Y2K , and therefore its potential ramifications for our future. I recieved an email from a polyanna that was scary in its intensity of hate. And the language used was a collection of the worse I'd seen over the net.

I knew from your very first post you weren't a troll. Because your reaction was very much the same I had when I first started to realize, except that I didn't write it down in words. Trolls don't write posts like that, they have no idea of the feelings one goes through when when "gets it".

And if you're used to IRC, you should have an armor against trolls already. I bet you cried over the rejection letters not from the personal attacks, but from the realization that the entire world is not grasping it, and not feeling like you are, and that they should.

That's what I cry over.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 15, 1998.

TROLL! 150 IQ and a degree in something or other. Can't spell bad grammar and can't rite good. Here's some unsolicited advice for all you aspiring authors out there. 300 words is the max and 150 words is better. The internet is not the New Yorker. You have to keep it moving

-- Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts (jim1bets@worldnet.att.net), December 15, 1998.

Is this the right thread to post this news:

Just checked a server running SCO UNIX, Oracle DB for Windows and a Human Resources Application.

Set the date to 01/01/2000, guess what Oracle failed.

Fortunately the aplication is only used for historical data, we will just set the date back if possible, or try to extract the data

But we know the version of SCO UNIX is non-compliant Oracle obviously is, and the application was known to be non-compliant. We only wanted to be able to pull off the data rather than use the application properly. But here is an example of complete failure rather than just unknown or minor niggles.

-- Richard Dale (rdale@figroup.co.uk), December 15, 1998.

catsy, You're right. I'm a fighter. A hardhead. Got backbone. Not scared to express myself even when others don't like it. Rejection? Well, I can handle that. Yes, the tears were not from the rejection, but the fact that the few people I have talked to are totally clueless. My heart aches for them. By the way, Every since around '85(hmm, interesting, no 1985?), I have had this feeling that something was gonna happen, something big. Just sitting up on the hilltops of the interstate, & watching cars, it seemed as if the world was moving too fast, too many, to NOwhere. Also, Is anyone into philosophy? Would love to correspond with someone about the original ideas I have pioneered. Next, why is there no "live-real-time" discussion on IRC? Everytime I got to #Y2K on either dalnet or undernet, there might be 1 person only. Usually a late teen who has no real clue, who hasn't been in the world, self-reliantly, anyways. Oh, well, enuff. Check back in a bit. By the way, I love you all, and need you all. The good, the bad, the ugly(Clint Eastwood). I only work part-time & have lots of free time to stay on-line(my ISP hates this), so I will be around alot. Guess my personality is starting to come thru', I dunno. I seem to have this ability to "read" personalities via type...maybe others do. As a chinese philosopher once said, "All that is given to yopu at this moment, is to have a good laugh." LOL

-- Randy (flembob@usa.net), December 15, 1998.

Hey, chill out. No need to get upset from email. Spend a few years in the coal mines and you will be surprised how little you care about nasty comments. I generally laugh at flamers - much I care about their opinion about me. As for Y2K - it is a serious business, no question about it. But I spent 17 years as a lab tech in the fuel/power industry, have progammed PLC controllers and done a bunch of the real world work that many of the Y2K theorists have never dirtied their hands with. So my take is more of a 'real world' thing than many CS people have. I expect a '4' or perhaps a bit less. Financial world troubles yes, problems in some high tech industries - health care and so on - yes, but that is not TEOTWAWKI by any means.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), December 15, 1998.

The thing about EM is to take in in a circumspect manner. Remember you can always give as good as you get, they can't beat you up for it. Anyway on Yourdon we're* a pretty good bunch really, like everyone we occasionally lose our cool. Don't forget you can still win an argument or get your point over if you are articulate and logical. I say we* (as in the lone ranger joke), I still don't understand half of the ramblings (no only kidding).

You're in controversial and stimulating company (speech over).

Yes agree with Paul expect a 4, big unknown is obviously power, personally not expecting power cuts, if they do come for any length of time changes the scenario drastically,

-- Richard Dale (rdale@figroup.co.uk), December 15, 1998.

Hi Randy,

Im one of those whos attracted the troll(s). We are all a bit sensitive about that issue right now. Most people respect others, and are good netizens. Our keyboard fingers are a mite quicker, over the past few weeks, at jumping upon our suspicions.

Flaming is different. I collected quite an inbound rock collection from the posters, mostly fundamentalist, who just couldnt accept someone with different visions. Thats pretty much died down now. As the regular posters get to know you. It is really a great group! Good job for finding us!

Youre now on the Y2K emotional rollercoaster. The ride does smooth out, but youre hurtling over the big bumps now. Like Mary, it took me two weeks of sleeplessness, forgetting to eat, and being endlessly glued to the internet, to come to terms with Y2K. Not sure thats changed all that much, but Im more balanced now, take time outs to enjoy nature, and am actively DOing things, on the net to hopefully, make a difference. My preparation is mostly spiritual at this timing, though not entirely. To each his/her own.

As a native Californian, I grew up with earthquakes. Well, this is the Big One, only its completely global! Once you study the issue, in my opinion, its the only conclusion one can make. What is up for grabs, is how high or deep this all is, what will the impact be, and what will the duration be. On that issue, we are relatively clueless. It has become the biggest uncertainty in millennia. Thats why we keep coming back here. To constantly update our understanding of the possible Y2K repercussions on each of our lives, and to share with our extended Y2K family here.

I study all sides of the Y2K issues, and also conclude that all our lives will never be the same after this. Whatever happens. Will there be major disruptions to our lifestyles? I think so. Does it mean the whole planet is going down in riots and flames. I dont think so. It depends on the choices we make. Preparing is key. Preparing in isolation is more risky than preparing a community. This will be a time when bigger crews are needed to navigate uncharted waters. All impact is local. Concentrate there. So far, our government is playing a hidden game on this issue. It looks like its up to each of us to get ready and activate those around us. My tools of choice are words, examples and personal analogies, not sledge hammers. We still have some time for others to wake up, likely starting in January then gathering steam during the spring. April is a key trip point, I suspect.

So, breathe deeply. Take time to remember your spirit, and get ready for the wild ride of your lifetime. You are not alone.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 15, 1998.

"TROLL! 150 IQ and a degree in something or other. Can't spell bad grammar and can't rite good." -Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts

Pot calling the kettle black! LOL

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), December 15, 1998.

I'll admit I thought you were a troll, Randy. It was when you said '...we have to have a way to deal with this without the results Gary North, or Ed Yourdon are taking ... don'tcha think?'

There have been a lot more messages lately on these threads saying preparation is OK but the gut feeling of the writer is Y2k will blow over quickly. I didn't see messages like this when I started calling this forum. Messages of this type started a month, month and a half ago. My opinion is that just one person is behind these postings. There is one main troll.

My apologies to you again. It's just that I'm sick and tired of these recent messages suggesting a 'bump in the road' type situation. There are internet sites for Y2k skeptics. We call this message forum because we believe in preparation for Y2k without being what you might call a 'survivalist'.

Could our main troll be preparing but preparing for something other than Y2k? It doesn't matter. All of us plus Randy's friends and family plus our troll stockpiling ammo will know that Y2k is real very soon now.

Your friends and relatives will be coming to you for advice soon, Randy. Trust me on that.

Take care.

-- (x@y.z), December 15, 1998.

Randy -- good show, you had the guts to come back. Stick around.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), December 15, 1998.

Gilda -- in one (or more?) of the Hans Christian Andersen nursery stories, the troll was a monstrous creature who lived under a bridge, and ate anyone who tried to cross. Not a happy scene.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), December 15, 1998.

I second Tom. All of us know the rollercoaster feeling. Never completely goes away. If we could be sure what is going to happen, it would be easier. As it is, we have to come to our own conclusions and act accordingly, given our individual resources and circumstance.As for me, my habits, feelings and the influence of my surroundings go one way, ('can't really, can it?') especially since I am NOT a techie and never hope to be one. Logic and observation take me the other ('this is a real problem with potentially wide-reaching consequences'). I wonder it the adamant- or frantic- predicting either extreme of scenario haven't just chosen to decide they "know" what will happen, because it is so much easer to deal with than uncertainty. Have you read Ed Yourden's "Timebomb 2000"? It is a good start- much better than panic. Then decide what you reasonably can and choose to do. And let go of the rest. We do it all the time- just don't normally think about it so clearly.

-- Maria (encelia@mailexcite.com), December 15, 1998.

OK, newbies, listen up - some gloss from Dah 'Net:

"troll" refers to someone who posts to a newsgroup or bulletin board in such a manner as to invite flaming (i.e., "losing one's temper or blasting someone via e-mail or other posting"). It has that quality common in Net jargon of multiple-meaning and overtones, since "troll" is: (a) a nasty, ugly mythic creature,(b) British slang for someone unpleasant, and (c) a verb from the sport of fishing. Cool, no?

Been surfing the 'Net since it started with DARPA 'stead of INTER. Oh, Lord, I'm ooooolllldddd... 'scuse me while I make my way back to Back to the rocker... [Cranks up Buddy Holly on the sound system]

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), December 15, 1998.

Gayla, you have been drawn to the magnet.

Leave Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts alone. He rules! You should bow before him, and pray to him as your God.

JIMMY ROCKS!

-- epigone (cc@za.com), December 15, 1998.

Thanks Tom. I knew about the trolls in fairy tales, but I didn't know what it meant in posts. I was called a troll on another forum for suggesting that a poster should be on the religion forum for carrying on at length about the mark of the beast, etc., I was attacked by one and all, so I just left.

-- gilda jessie morgan (jess@listbot.com), December 15, 1998.

"TROLL! 150 IQ and a degree in something or other. Can't spell bad grammar and can't rite good." -Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts Pot calling the kettle black! LOL

Thanx......JBD

The epigone guy scares me

-- Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts (jim1bets@worldnet.att.net), December 15, 1998.

Wait I'm not finished. epigone is a troll. He knows as well as I do that FOLEY IS GOD.

now I'm finished and have a nice day

-- Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts (jim1bets@worldnet.att.net), December 15, 1998.

I've seen it all now. A troll complaining about his other troll identities.

-- (asdf@jk.l), December 16, 1998.