What S. Africa is telling its people about Y2K--includes world compliance levels

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From official S. African Y2K site:

http://www.y2k.org.za/media/campaign/promo/yready.htm

[Government Y2K pamphlet]

Are You Ready for Y2K?

You have heard about it on the news and you have read about it in the press. People you know are talking about it. But do you know what "Y2K" stands for and what it means for you personally?

Read on and find out why it is important that you as an individual should know as much as possible about Y2K and what you, your family and community should do about it.

What exactly is Y2K?

[Standard explanation]

So what is all the fuss about?

If nothing is done about managing the problem, come the Year 2000 we could all be faced with, for instance:

Failed transportation, e.g. owing to shortage in fuel supply

Failed security systems

Failed communication, e.g. by telephone

Failed sanitation and refuse removal

Failed power stations (e.g. no heat or light) Credit card refusal

Breakdown in food supply chain

Breakdown in essential services, e.g. hospital equipment and, worst of all, Y2K could well lead to a recession in the global economy. This is all probable, because infrastructure, transactions and services are currently computerised to a great extent. Also, as a result of the interdependencies between the various economic sectors, failure in one sector could lead to disaster in another. This is referred to as the "domino-effect".

What to do about Y2K?

The big issue globally is to first make people aware of the problem. Then to make sure that everyone concerned takes action to prevent disaster.

There is no more time to debate - we have to start dealing with this issue immediately. Everyone who knows about Y2K should to everything possible to tell others about the potential impact of Y2K. The next step would be to find out exactly how you or your business could be affected and then to make sure that firstly you yourself and secondly, everyone with whom you interact, whether on a business or personal level, is in fact ready to face the Year 2000. Take care to protect yourself and your family from potential loss of time and income by ensuring that you keep a record of all transactions from banks, insurance companies, government departments and other institutions or businesses with whom you regularly interact. If any of these systems fail, as a result of Y2K, you will save a lot of time and frustation if you have proof of your accounts or details. Do not buy any piece of electronic or computer equipment, or software without getting a signed guarantee from the supplier that this item will continue working without date-related problems after 1 January, 2000.

Come 31 December 1999, at midnight, while you are happily wishing everyone a Happy New Year, millions of computers around the world will not. Their clocks will simply wipe out one hundred years of history, and revert back to the year 1900.

Is this what all the fuss is about?

Not quite. You see, by not recognising the Year 2000, they will refuse to process any date-related information.

If you own a computer, or work with one, or know someone who owns one, you have a responsibility to make sure it counts to 2000 and beyond.

Let's get South Africa ready for the Year 2000!

The National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre was established at the beginning of 1998 as a result of a Cabinet decision to form a central body to assist with managing the Y2K problem on a national basis. For more information on how the Year 2000 could affect you and your business, call us today tollfree at 0800 00 2000.

END CUT AND PASTE

There's also a page showing links to various reports, graphs and charts, as shown below:

BEGIN CUT AND PASTE

REPORTS

Results from the online Y2K readiness survey:

National Readiness Level (Index)

Index Breakdown by Economic Sector

GRAPHS

collection of graphical reports showing the results of completed questionaires. This also includes a report showing the overall readiness of South Africa.

Current and Projected Index

Sector Indices Status - Budgets

Status - Contingency Plans

Status - Quality of Actions Plans

Status - Project Teams

Project Phases

Mission Critical Systems Summary

Status - Recovery Processes

Status - Expenditure Ratios

Anticipated Completion

Phase One - Assessment

Phase Two - Analysis and Planning

Phase Three - Remediation

World Wide Compliancy

END CUT AND PASTE

Clicking on World Wide Compliancy produced a graph showing levels 0-5.

Level 0: Thailand, Malaysia, Phillippines, and parts of Russia and South America

Level 1: Russia, South America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Sentral Africa, China

Level 3: USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Japan, Israel, Western Europe

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 13, 1999

Answers

Old Git; Very helpful post. Thank you.

-- Finding (sspicer@nas.net), February 13, 1999.

Git- where did that come from?

-- Leo (lchampion@ozemail.com.au), February 13, 1999.

(Gen 49:19 KJV) "Gad, (South Africa) a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last."

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), February 13, 1999.

Hi Leo, it came from the official SA Y2K site, URL at top of page. There's quite a bit of info at the site. I tried unsuccessfully to find dates, but there's a piece about some awareness advertising that started on Jan 1, 99, so I expect it's current info. Bit of a different spin to what we get officially, isn't it?

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 14, 1999.

Very much so. I'm adding this to my list of sources. And thinking about how Johannesburg mightn't be such a bad place to go after all.

-- Leo (lchampion@ozemail.com.au), February 14, 1999.


Leo, I have some really good friends down there near Sidney [sp?]... how are things really? Is anything getting done?

O.G., I see there are 5 levels and the U.S. is lumped in with many under level 3... that doesn't seem to be great news, huh?

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

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


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