The following article, reproduced in its entirety, is from the front page of today's (Dec 15, 1998) Wall Street Journal:

"The only easing in demand for information-technology executives is for experts to deal with the expected year 2000 computer glitch. "The bulk of the Y2K work will likely be wrapped up by next summer," says John Davis, head of a New York search firm bearing his name.

-RC

-- Runway Cat (Runway_Cat@hotmail.com), December 16, 1998

Answers

Huh? I certainly hope, if he's right, and nothing happens, we'll keep in touch on this Forum, if only to delve into why we concentrated on the TEOTWAWKI side.

My vote is, John Davis Headhunter will lose his head by next summer.

xxxxxxx xxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 16, 1998.

Runway,

A few months ago, companies were saying the bulk of their Y2K work would likely be wrapped up by December 31, 1998. Wanna bet that in April 1999, they'll be saying that it'll be finished by October 1999?

Here is a must read link. It's an analysis of the latest Securities and Exchange Commission 10-Q filings on Fortune 500 Y2K compliance:

http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/981214829E

Again, this is must-read. Folks, it ain't good. The hard information we've needed to know is, finally, arriving.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 16, 1998.

Runway,

Read this:

http://x2.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=421054011&CONTEXT=913682332.301858 889&hitnum=1

"y2k retort: my letter to a pollyanna"

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 16, 1998.

I must say this is fairly potent reasoning, even to certain Felinus Runwayticus with latent pollyanna tendencies.

-RC

-- Runway Cat (runway_cat@hotmail.com), December 16, 1998.

RC, some on this Forum have noted that companies spending big bucks fixing code are having to lay off many employees to band-aid the bottom line. This chart-laden new lay-off report:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/ 224152.asp

details how US Layoffs Hit A 5-Year High, but do not mention Y2K.
Some of the cuts are substantial! Almost everything blamed on Asian flu.
Guess it depends what lens ppl are looking thru.

Who is looking through pure truth?

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 16, 1998.

Leska,

I actually have to disagree with you. Not EVERYTHING has to do with Y2K. Have you considered that this could actually be the truth...?

Due to you feeling that you are being lied to by everyone from Goverment to corp's to the newsmedia I understand your question. However, the asian flu is hitting businesses hard. They are loosing tons of money in the asian economy's. Y2K budgets are in my opinon chumpchange compared to money lost.

Yes corporations are spending TONS of money for Y2K remidiation. But in my humble opinion it still is not adding up to MAJOR layoffs.

Let's keep the big picture in mind. The economic context is what makes y2k so dangerous.

Only my $0.02....

scholty

-- scholty (scholty@waymark.net), December 16, 1998.

Leska, Pure truth? What is THAT? Do you have it? The god of our day is "Opinion".

-- Randy (flembob@usa.net), December 16, 1998.

To scholty and Randy,
I did not say everything has to do with Y2K, but simply brought out two differing takes on the layoffs. Also, I've never said or implied I feel everyone is lying. Exactly the opposite, I merely said ppl's focus depends on the lens they are looking through at the moment. The subject of this thread is A Parallel Universe, where we watch different opinions offering different looks on related subjects.

Along those lines, I was wishing for a place/person who really knew the pure truth. If *I* had the pure truth about Y2K, I would not need to be doing so much research to ascertain which opinions might become facts. The god of our day may be "opinion," as Randy stated, but if one does nothing to prepare, thinking events in the year 2000 will be as ephemeral as opinion, one may be faced with concrete consequences such a hunger, cold, danger, and death.

Based on my observations thru my lens of empirical knowledge, I believe that the *people's reactions* context is what makes Y2K so dangerous, and that belief has become so strong that Ashton & I are now moving along at a brisk pace with our preparations, and have made definite progress. Of course this anticipation of truth will not be shared by the majority of people. Opinions motivate action. If Y2K is nothing, or only a bump, we will have less shopping to do in 2000. :)

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 16, 1998.

"My vote is, John Davis Headhunter will lose his head by next summer" -- Leska

Oh, come on! I mean, I fully expect he will probably starve to death, or maybe die of some terrible typhoid like disease that will spread in NYC, but lose his head??? I mean, lets not go to extremes on this Y2K stuff!

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

Jack, hope you're being facetious. In the temp world of headhunting, "losing his head" means losing his job because of ineptitude and not accurately forecasting supply and demand of skilled personnel, and therefore not being prepared to make his business prosper. 'headcount'

Most IT departments are predicting an increase in need throughout 2000 for Y2K remediation.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 16, 1998.

scholty ,

Yes, Not EVERYTHING has to do with Y2K. And the asian flu IS decidedly hitting businesses hard. However, the big picture also suggests that anticipated Y2K problems may well be a interdependent and interrelated puzzle piece in corporate layoff decisions. Major corporations ARE the ones who know the truth behind the SEC 10-Q filings they are submitting.

It may well be a matter of corporate survival and Y2K preparedness. Running lean and mean has always been part of the strategic plans for economic downturns.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 16, 1998.

Thread to the top.

-- Richard Dale (rdale@figroup.co.uk), December 18, 1998.