This is a sincere request, from one of the threads. Doubtless this thread has already come and gone (?), but I can't find it... Looking for good news / Y2K success stories that are reported as
- true right NOW (not promised to be true in March or July) and
- from an organization whose honesty and integrity are held in high esteem by most people (am trying hard to avoid using the word 'unimpeachable' !), or
- which has verified by a trustworthy third party.
It is easy for me to get up in the "only bad news get posted" syndrome. For ex., The compliance of Social Security would be cheering, if it were provable, and if any of the state systems were ready, or the banks... Please reply, no matter how obvious the example. Thanks...

-- Grrr (grrr@grrr.net), January 14, 1999

Answers

Here some from Australia I found encouraging (though I don't know how you could independently verify it):

http:/ /www.afr.com.au/content/990114/inform/inform3.html

They have at least been honest enough to add the following caveat paragraph:

However, the bank has still some way to go to reach compliance as it has yet to replace and test all of its non-compliant third-party provided software, some of which is dependent on the promises of vendors to deliver compliant versions in time for the date rollover.

No, this isn't earth-shattering and perhaps the bigger story here is that more organizations are saying this but you asked for anything...

-- Arnie Rimmer (arnie_rimmer@usa.net), January 14, 1999.

Could swear I saw a blurb that the Unemployment Insurance systems for all 50 states successfully crossed their first Y2K milestone this month. Presume they project out a year. If I recall, there were concerns that there would be problems the first week of January.

jh

-- John Hebert (jhebert@co.waukesha.wi.us), January 14, 1999.

John, that's close, but maybe not quite a hit. The good news is that nobody was denied any unemployment insurance in any state. The bad news is, it doesn't project out a year in several states, because the programmers made a little mod -- they stuck in a temporary ending date of 12/31/99. I saw a quote from some state official, can't remember where, who said that if this goes on for any length of time, straightening it all out next January will be a nightmare (all by itself, understand, assuming no other problems crop up for some reason). Still, I guess it could have been worse.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), January 14, 1999.

deJagers Promises Kept (5 companies now!):

Promises kept

The other good news is I got laid last night.

-- a (a@a.a), January 14, 1999.

lol --a!

Should last nights experience be put under "promises kept" or "Good news - factual, here-and-now, reliable/verified . . . ?"

what about that elusive "third party verification"?

Mike ====================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), January 14, 1999.

"However, the bank has still some way to go to reach compliance as it has yet to replace and test all of its non-compliant third-party provided software, some of which is dependent on the promises of vendors to deliver compliant versions in time for the date rollover."

Arnie - you're talking about Wesptpac and ANZ in OZ aren't you.

Now for the reality.

"The ANZ bank yesterday became one of the first major financial institutions in the world to announce the completion of its internal Y2K computer bug program."

Notice the word "internal" above.

How will said bank process correctly formatted and parametered yet still corrupt inaccurate data???

This corrupt data will have been caused by Date Arithmetic and other unremediated bugs.

Will it reject it? No.

Will it process it? yes.

What will be the effect of processing corrupt data? The perpetuation of bad data, with further corruption along the way.

This bank is not compliant.

No bank is compliant unless the problem I outlined above is solved.

Further details:-

"However, the bank has still some way to go to reach compliance as it has yet to replace and test all of its non-compliant third-party provided software, some of which is dependent on the promises of vendors to deliver compliant versions in time for the date rollover. "

"Westpac's manager of Y2K business integration at Westpac, Mr Andy McPhee, said third-party applications, which ANZ had yet to completely test, made up a major portion of software systems at banks and inter-bank testing was fundamental to a bank's Y2K project. "We're in essentially the same position as ANZ -- we have some outstanding issues related to third-party providers and most of us have key parts of our business provided by third-party vendors." - From the report

Andy

"The conveniences and comforts of humanity in general will be linked up by one mechanism, which will produce comforts and conveniences beyond human imagination. But the smallest mistake will bring the whole mechanism to a certain collapse. In this way the end of the world will be brought about."

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, 1922 (Sufi Prophet)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 15, 1999.

According to this article I saw yesterday from Westgaard 2000...

http://www.y2ktimebomb.com/Computech/Issues/hbela9902.htm

...five Fortune 500 companies are now announcing completion--May Department Stores, McDonald's, The Limited, Venetar (was Woolworth's), and Consolidated Stores.

The bad news, according to this same article, is that Nash Finch (a food wholesaler) and U.S. Office Products have joined Chevron in saying they'll miss 12/31/99.

Hmm...five pieces of good news and three pieces of bad news. Will 63% of Fortune 500 companies be ready on January 1, 2000?

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 15, 1999.

Thanks! Let's hope there's lots more to add to the list...

I've become so annoyed with de Jager I forget to check his site. The five firms he lists as "Promise Keepers" are NAV Canada, Mutual Life of Canada, Sanwa Bank, NCUA, and ANZ Bank.

I know there is a fair bit of headway being made, and that will snowball during the coming months. Statements of compliance may not be forthcoming, for several annoying reasons. Of my "criteria" above, maybe the here-and-now successes are more encouraging than the more cumbersome trustworthy report/IV&V. There just seems to be so much self-certification, and sunny pronouncements that so-and-so is "on track" or confident about reaching their "goal" of 3/31 or 5/31, etc. ad nauseam.

-- Grrr (grrr@grrr.net), January 15, 1999.

I know this is for good news only and I hate to be a pessimist in an optimists forum. I recall about a year ago, when I was on a Vendor compliance project that every single company I contacted, with only a few exceptions, all claimed they would be compliant by 12/31/98. Well that has come and gone and only 5 companies made it?????? Is that 5 companies that have made it period. No more. Thats it. I'm optimistic :(

MB

-- Matthew Bonner (Bonnermc@hotmail.com), January 15, 1999.

Andy, Khan's quote should be thrown at people and media who don't understand the term TEOTWAWKI. Adam on this forum for example, should carefully read that quote.

Frustrates me to no end when people equate TEOTWAWKI with "the end of the world".

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 15, 1999.

Adam has informed me (on another thread) that Adolph Hitler is not behind the Y2K problem, that it has nothing whatsoever to do with him. So, I think that qualifies as good Y2K news. Other than that, I haven't heard of any....

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), January 15, 1999.

Companies make that list when they let de Jager know about it. If they don't contact his website, they don't make that list. It's an irrelevant list. Did yall not read the directions??

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), January 15, 1999.

Chris - I'm sure Adam has seen it but his pea-brain probably has difficulty processing it. Poor wibble misunderstood Adam.

To me I equate the quote with TEOTWAWKI - as we know it - i.e. the world will go on but humanity will have substantially changed.

I hope. I could be wrong. Maybe he meant it literally... I don't know, anyone have any input on the man,his prophecies???

Andy

Two digits. One mechanism. The smallest mistake.

"The conveniences and comforts of humanity in general will be linked up by one mechanism, which will produce comforts and conveniences beyond human imagination. But the smallest mistake will bring the whole mechanism to a certain collapse. In this way the end of the world will be brought about."

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, 1922 (Sufi Prophet)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 15, 1999.

ANZ may well be internally compliant, but in addition to the remaining IT issues they face - as outlined above - they still face big problems with their considerable exposure to Asian business and to small business in Australia. They are more exposed to each of these than are any of the other Australian banks.

If 80% of businesses worldwide were to be totally remdiated and fully tested then we might escape with only a depression. At the current rate of remediation success, (as best we can tell), and factoring in IT metrics, 80% looks very optimistic. VERRRRRRY.

-- humptydumpty (JonathonE.@rollerball.com), January 18, 1999.