I thought I would share one way I have used (successfully) to reach a few DGIs. You might want to try it.

We all face the problem that our family and friends are not as likely to receive information from us as from a neutral third party. So, many months ago, I thought up this awful pseudonym, Franklin Journier, (those were the first two names that popped into my head; twisted), took out an anonymous e-mail account and began to write my own Y2K newsletters. I sent them to family and friends at fairly regular intervals.

One friend did kick into high gear and is a full-blown GI. I think others have not gotten it quite so fully, but I do occasionally detect greater awareness.

Time is getting short but you might want to try this. It's especially helpful for people now to receive well-documented and very calmly written pieces that show that there is a whitewash campaign being waged to keep people in the dark about Y2K (always include the hotlinks). Again, the advantage here is that your family and friends might write you personally off as a paranoid nut (well not my friends and family, of course, but yours maybe) but they might be able to hear it coming from "somebody else."

Now, as a side issue, is there any "hacker" or gov't spook out there who can figure out my real name and post it on this thread (the couple of you who know it already keep quiet). That would be very instructive (and VERY SCARY) if somebody can do that. This is only a test....

-- Franklin Journier (ready4y2k@yahoo.com), February 15, 1999

Answers

Only 2 of my realtives have a computer, and the friends and acquaintances that I do have have already been informed and they wouldn't listen. You are lucky to have one person you've told to understand the situation. My husband suggested a while back that I get a bunch of information together and put it in our neighbors mail boxes anonymously. Frankly, I wouldn't waste my time nor energy, I'm expending it on getting myself even more prepared now. I just shifted into high gear because I believe things may happen sooner than we think, like bank runs and food runs. But good luck anyway Franklin.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), February 15, 1999.

Your real name is George Herbert Walker Bush.

-- A friend (Hunter@NSA.gov), February 15, 1999.

Ahhhhhhhh! Pack the bags, Barbara! They're onto us.....

-- Franklin Journier (ready4y2k@yahoo.com), February 15, 1999.

Franklin,

Videotapes are useful.

Start off with Dan Rather Eye on America clip, Peter Jennings clip and 60 minutes clip from last fall. (Yes there are copies).

Then in discussion, show key printed info.

It works.

Diane

(P.S. Did you ever find the number for total government computers, not just the ever shifting mission criticals?)

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 15, 1999.

If they're fans of Jane Bryant Quinn, she's stocking water and providing for alternative heating: (but not PREPARING)

http://www.timesunion.com/news/story.asp?storyKey=6457&newsdate=2/15/9 9

Title is "Take Y2K Precautions Seriously"

-- Lisa (lisa@workin.allday), February 15, 1999.

Diane,

No, I didn't find that number. What a shame. I'll have to qualify it a bit in my article before it goes to print.

-- Franklin Journier (ready4y2k@yahoo.com), February 15, 1999.

Franklin: I got a little paraoid there for a moment, I was beginning to think there were really hackers out there trying to figure out who I was and where I lived. I need a rest from this place, it's making me wacky!

-- BarbaraBush (BarbaraBush@wacko.com), February 15, 1999.