I work for the Canada Pension Plan. On the weekend, our system was shut down, and a y2k compliant Banyan 8.5 operating system was installed. I had my doubts. Well guess what. We've been down about 70% of the time since the installation. That's right. Canada Pension is shutdown in our office. No work is being done. Maybe theyll fix it real quick

-- anon (foo@foo.com), February 11, 1999

Answers

There are many, many, MANY events like this taking place throughout North America. Most of these events are not even noticed outside the organizational boundary, and on the rare occasion that an outsider inquires as to the nature of the problem, the official press release describes it as a "glitch" or an "anomaly" or a "planned maintenance overhaul" or some such twaddle.

But what's important about all of this, in my opinion, is that the "little people" within the organization are beginning to notice it. It's not just the programmers, who have known all along that the organization was highly vulnerable to problems like this. And it's not just the senior executives, who issue more edicts and proclamations about getting the job fixed. No, it's the secretaries and administrative assistants and the hundreds of Dilbert-style anonymous employees who are beginning to think to themselves, "Hmmm... so THAT's what they mean by Y2K. So THAT's why all those doom-and-gloomers have been warning about problems. So THAT's what it's like when it happens in our own company. So THAT's the way management will give us an honest, forthright assessment of what's going on.... Hmmmm... maybe I should make some plans, just in case the same kind of thing begins happening all over the place on Jan 1, 2000."

I think it's the silent reaction of the little people that has led to the somewhat surprising survey data indicating that 16% of the public is planning to take ALL of its money out of the bank before the end of the year. Why would they be thinking such things if they weren't beginning to see some tangible evidence that the situation is FUBAR?

Ed

-- Ed Yourdon (ed@yourdon.com), February 11, 1999.

at least this is happening in Feb. 99. Do you know how many organizations will be trying the same type of installation in 4th qtr. 99? (No, I don't know either. It was rhetorical. Let's just say there will be many.)

-- rick blaine (y2kazoo@hotmail.com), February 11, 1999.

So glad to hear that CPP is compliant... now if only there's a non-bankrupt government left to administer it. ;-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 11, 1999.

For once failure is good. No failure, No testing. Right on CPP.

-- Jimbo (anon2@anon.com), February 11, 1999.

I agree with Ed.

I've been working the Y2K public education effort for a while now and am now participating as a civilian volunteer at the state level. I used to be deeply concerned that "no one was getting it". I don't feel this is true any longer. Recent personal experience has shown that there are an increasing number of people who are working at what I call "quiet preparation". They are people from all walks of life .. from teachers to doctors .. from retirees to mechanics .. and countless others.

They are going about life almost as usual .. yet are slowly and almost invisibly "ramping up". Granted there yet appears to be many who don't view Y2K as a threat .. there are more and more who are doing something. My $0.02 worth.

Dan

-- Dan (DanTCC@Yahoo.com), February 12, 1999.

The sister of a friend of mine didn't take Y2K seriously until early January. Why did she change her mind? During the first 10 days of January, she could not use her medical prescription card to get medicine for her diabetic husband, and had to pay the full price for the medicine.

Computer records showed that they did not have insurance, even though they did.

She's now planning to buy a generator...

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 12, 1999.