Just what exactly will happen to cause the masses to go from DGI to GI and start preparing?

-- Leo (leo_champion@hotmail.com), December 18, 1998

Answers

SELECT panic FROM public WHERE condition IN ('BANK FAILURE', 'NO ELECTRICITY', 'MARTIAL LAW');

-- Anonymous (Anonymous@anonymous.com), December 18, 1998.

Leo: Follow the money... and remember that there are also Forget its and Don't wanna get its between the DGIs and GIs on the Y2K evolutionary scale. Watching the FIs and DWGIs turn into GIs is itself a helpful barometer, as long as the growth in awareness continues to be slow and steady, rather than a massive trigger event that would create millions of intsant GIs.

Anon: ROFL... INSERT into public SET condition= ("Stock Market Crash", "Liquidity Crisis");

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), December 18, 1998.

ADD into public SET condition= ("Thirst", "Cold", "Hunger");

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 18, 1998.

Leo's question hasn't been answered. He asked WHAT would CAUSE mass panic, not what would happen if mass panic occurred.

One really prominent individual with a sparkling reputation or at least a believable reputation in the spotlight outta do it, but don't count on it. There's too much baggage attached to being the one to make it all go haywire. IMO it will be picking up speed and fervor in the amount of GI's and their actions, but there will still be a huge number of DGI's and DWGI's out there. I have been working on about 10 people for over 6 months now whom I don't want to see vanish from this earth, but cannot help because they live in other parts of the country. They sort of get it and think that something could happen, or believe that something will happen but haven't connected the dots down to the generator and stored food level. Reality is too painful. They are the DWTAI = don't wanta think about its.

-- (mass@delusions.com), December 18, 1998.

No, They are classic Forget Its. And we did answer his question by suggesting specific events that will cause the movement of the DGIs, FIs, and DWGIs up the scale.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), December 18, 1998.

One specific event, in keeping with our entertainment-marinated culture: Hollywood will release some kind of y2k movie within 6 months. If they put the pedal to the floor, that would be the trigger. Speaking of triggers, if The Trigger Effect were to be slightly reworked, made a little more horrifying and realistic, and tied explicitly to y2k, stripped of its "happy" ending, and marketed as intensively Independence Day, that would do it.

-RC

-- Runway Cat (runway_cat@hotmail.com), December 18, 1998.

RC: I heard that Hollywood is already making a Y2K film and it is supposed to come out in the fall next year. Is this a rumor or is it true... cause if it is I agree with you about it being a trigger event if handled even close to the way you described.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), December 18, 1998.

Yes, you are correct, here it is: y2kmovie

-RC

-- runway cat (runway_cat@hotmail.com), December 18, 1998.

The "y2k" movie however, doesn't seem to be a "pull out the stops" InfoMagic meldown at all, just a technothriller with y2k as a background prop. It would have to be done like The Trigger Effect in order to initiate the stampede.

-RC

-- runway cat (runway_cat@hotmail.com), December 18, 1998.

"Leo's question hasn't been answered. He asked WHAT would CAUSE mass panic, not what would happen if mass panic occurred."

Mass panic is the end result of a slow trickle of "mini-panics", in different areas. People are "panicking" right now. We here GI's who prepare are "calmly panicking" . It's exponential. I don't see a one event, "mass panic", but rather will be a pinacle, much like that of the events in Y2K itself, the bell curve, with Jan 1, 2000 as the pinacle. People will panic because others are panicking, and won't know themselves why they're panicking.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 18, 1998.

That last sentence should say "Some people will panic because others are panicking, and won't know themselves why they're panicking."

There WILL be those ;)

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), December 18, 1998.

Would it "begin" the "first time" enough people went to buy something "normal", and found it wasn't available?

For example - they went to the store - say in mid-Dec 1999 - and found there was no stored goods on the shelf (rice or bread or canned vegetables) available, but that there was plenty of perishables (milk or eggs). So this person buys twelve cans of soup. Then next person looks for soup - finds none. Overreacts and gets all the cans of spagettio's that are on the shelf. The third person then starts seeing empty shelves .....

Or a person tries to get a bottle of propane, but the store is "out" -> So this person goes and tries to buy extra "pre-wrapped firewood" - the next person finds no firewood nor canned goods -> tries to get cash -> but the ATM is empty -> etc, etc, etc.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 18, 1998.

Robert: Imagine the utter consternation after the last can of Spam goes, and yet there are still 'other' things left!

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdus@net.com), December 18, 1998.

Leo, I imagine one really big y2k disaster from testing (that makes headlines) should do it. It would have to be something major....say utility company testing and burning up some transformers. That puts everyone in the dark for a week or so while they re-order parts.

-- More Dinty Moore (Not @this time.com), December 18, 1998.

bioweapon terrorist strike against any given major metropolitan area in the U.S.

people can't grasp the implications of the interconnectivity which will make y2k so deadly.

people will actively avoid the notion that civilization is balanced on ones and zeros.

people will be aware (because of the reporting) that the US Dept of Defense has consistently lied about their y2k readiness, and thus if such a strike could occur before y2k, it could undoubtedly occur after...and it ain't like this country is making a whole lot of friends right now, is it?

just my 2cents' worth, Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), December 19, 1998.

Arlin;

Given the events of the last week, would you put yourself in a large, filled football stadium in the US this weekend, or next???

I don't think I would.

cr

-- Chuck a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 19, 1998.

chuck, I absolutely concur with your postition. I am going nowhere around large crowds that might be targeted. We have vertually assured that we will have terrorist activity in North America.

-- More Dinty Moore (Not @this time.com), December 19, 1998.