It was mentioned that Linda Tripp...Triped up the President. Being a wee bit...far fetched? Is Yourdon a pun for YOU ARE DONE? Is this his real name or did someone already cover this pun?

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), January 10, 1999

Answers

If you want puns, you should hear some of the names we briefly considered for our kids. How about "River" or "King Hussein of..." or (best of all) "Flash" ?

Our kids are eternally grateful that we calmed down and gave them more- or-less normal names.

Ed

-- Ed Yourdon (ed@yourdon.com), January 10, 1999.

Hmnnn, he writes 25 books since 1967 as part of an elaborate practical joke?

-- Jay Kusnetz (jayrtfm@hotmail.com), January 10, 1999.

Just wondering if this is a cosmic pun or what? I don't think y2k is a joke.

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), January 10, 1999.

Yeah, Yourdon is his real name. Another poster has substituted "YourDoneFor".

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), January 10, 1999.

At the university where I received my undergraduate degree in computer science (83), Ed Yourdon's work was highly respected and his text books were used in several classes taught there. His name is well known among computer programmers and systems analysts. I spent many nights cussing Ed's text "Modern Structured Analysis" (for which I have since apologized ;-)

Large systems design requires many skills, not the least of which is the ability to look at systems ('the larger picture') in their most abstract forms. This ability to abstract seems to come naturally to some folks. Others, myself included, had to work pretty hard to gain those skills. It has been one of the more valuable skills I learned while in college and one that has served me well. Ed Yourdon's teachings played a major role in my personal development of abstraction skills and good systems development practices/procedures.

I would have probably never taken the time to so deeply research the Y2K problems had Time Bomb 2000 been written by just about anyone other than Ed (& Jennifer) Yourdon. In fact, I had read the Wired article earlier in the late spring and dismissed it. I originally bought Ed/Jennifer's book without reading the cover because I was looking for a book on Y2K project methodology. Instantly recognizing the name I bought the book believing it to be a book on methodology. I read it in two days and my life hasn't really been the same since.

If someone whose work I respected felt that Y2K had the potential for serious consequences, I felt I'd better get my rear end in gear and, at the very minimum, do some additional research. A few hours turned into several hundred hours. Days turned into weeks and into months.

In the end, the conclusion I came to was that any specific predictions were just about impossible but that the overall pattern was quite disturbing and that personal preparation was a prudent thing to do for myself and my family.

So approximately 6 months ago I began using all of my spare time (and then some) evaluating my vulnerabilities and taking steps to make sure that if there are major disruptions in critical utilities and services, my family and I will be warm, well watered and fed and will be able to sit calmly at home and give others and opportunity to fix anything that has failed. It's taken the full 6 months, it's been extraordinarily hard work.

It's taken a committment to learning as well as a hard re-assessment of priorities (e.g. For Christmas this year, we cut our entire Christmas budget by 90% - no lights, no live tree, no trips, no fancy food or entertainment, no big presents, - uh, except the new woodstove -- and yet still had a very excellent Christmas.

What we did buy we paid for in cash and put zero on the charge card. I'm afraid MC/Visa will not share my enthusiasm for these austerity measures but hey, there's always next year.

We are not ready yet but we are getting close to having the basics taken care of (location, water, food, shelter, heat, security, financial, sanitation). Need about another 4-6 weeks to finish up this part of the preparations. From there, we will move on to the secondary issues - medical, communications, etc. We will also continue to add to our food and water stores as time and money allow.

I will not be sad or disappointed should all my preparations turn out to be unnecessary. Nor will I be angry. Indeed I will be dancing a jig and inviting all the Yourdon posters to my place for free soybeans and rice and potable water.

In fact, having all these preparations turn out to be unnecessary would be the best Christmas present my family and I could receive 355 days from now.

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), January 10, 1999.

This for Arnie Rimmer and Ed Yourdon.

Arnie: You said it all better than I could. I can't believe how little time six months actually is when there is so much to be done!

Mr. Yourdon: Purchased your book last May along with my first computer. Thanks for the heads-up. (I'm from the Land of Enchantment.)

-- Ridge Harris (ATR400@nanosecond.com), January 10, 1999.