Here we are in the last day of February 1999. One reason we come to this forum is to get the latest Y2K news. Chances are that if it is Y2K related the posters on this forum have reported and discussed it. More and more people new to Y2K are coming here every day for this information. This thread is an attempt to summarize, especially for the newbies, what has happened of real importance so far this year in one place.

What do you think has been the most significant Y2K news item(s) in 1999?

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), February 28, 1999

Answers

People aren't panicing yet!

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), February 28, 1999.

Rob,

I'm in a hurry. But just off the top of my head I have to say the little tid bits reported from the anticipated latest Senate Report and the dire situation of the USPS...

Have to go and I'm sure that there are others that shall come to mind as I fly out the door. But I'm sure others will identify them and post accordingly.

PS. Are you wearing your pink tutu!!!

-- Anon (anon@zzz.com), February 28, 1999.

The Senate report. FYI, it's supposed to be out on Monday, March 1, 1999. We'll see if it posts anywhere. I may be dreaming on that one.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), February 28, 1999.

You are confusing me with Robert I think. No pick tutu for me! Only bright red socks.

Back to the topic - some other candidates that come to mind: The Red Cross page for preparation, the actions of the governements alphabet agencies and National Guard, the CIA report on country readiness.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), February 28, 1999.

Silent awareness, people in denial, people getting it, people preparing, people not preparing, people calling us kooks, people who get it networking, people being informed via internet and tv, people not being informed via internet and tv, being brainwashed, these are all stories as 1999 unfolds.

-- braindead (braindead@lethargic.com), February 28, 1999.

National Guard preps; recent Army exercises in urban areas; statements from Senate Y2K Committee saying Y2K will be worse than WWI and II, Civil War and Depression.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 28, 1999.

The demise (at least for the moment) of the blanketing coverage of the Presidents..er..peckerdillos.

Maybe some real news can get out (don't hope for a lot) before the next Royal controversy and the National Presses next infatuation.

Bread-and-Circuses is hard to compete with.

As far as overt events, the USPS report has to top the list. It will be interesting to see how the TOs (Terminally Optimistic) deal with that one. As several have already noted that report is the loudest bang so far as the machine starts to back-fire, miss, and grind to a halt.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), February 28, 1999.

Washington DC government failures, lack of ANY new federal agency compliance (other than Social Security) since December, failure of IRS to meet January deadline, change in NRC plans, expansion of FEMA role-playing, Red Cross backing out of conference in Michigan, increase in spin = panicking caused by hoarding, failure of any international increase in compliancy, 32 states considering "lawsuit immunity from Y2K failures on their part" (if it wasn't needed, or if they didn't forsee problems, the states wouldn't need lawsuit prevention, would they?),

Good news - slim pickings actually: 32-45% of Americans say they preparing (to some degree), and expect serious problems, many companies are trying to remediate (though only a few (15-20 max) say they have finished), utilities are still working - but only 20-40 have apparently finished.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.R@csaatl.com), February 28, 1999.

The FDIC may soon adopt a "know your customer rule" requiring banks to "monitor" your checking and savings accounts and report any "unusual transactions" to the federal government. You can go to http://www.defendyourprivacy.com to sign a petition opposing this rule. The period of time allowed for public comment expires Mar. 8.

-- Bill Byars (billbyars@softwaresmith.com), February 28, 1999.

Old Git, or anyone:

Re: "...statements from Senate Y2K Committee saying Y2K will be worse than WWI and II, Civil War and Depression."

SOURCE? Link?? Thanks.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@ptd.net), February 28, 1999.

Chevron's statement that it wouldn't make it on time (I believe that was in January?)

Sara, scroll down on thread lists and look for "Senate report" in threads, links were given.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), February 28, 1999.

Sara: http://www .cbn.org/y2k/insights.asp?file=990226i.htm

-- Rob MIchaels (sonofdust@net.com), February 28, 1999.

Sara,

It sounds like this quote from the Washington Post article on the Senate report...

[snip]

The report, scheduled for release this week by Sens. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) and Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), includes a letter to Senate colleagues describing the problem of computers' ability to recognize dates starting on Jan. 1, 2000, popularly known as Y2K, as a "worldwide crisis" and as "one of the most serious and potentially devastating events this nation has ever encountered."

[snip]

I posted most of the Washington Post article on this thread:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000YKR

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 28, 1999.

Kevin: You were following the number of companies with 12/31/1998 Y2K deadlines as closely as anybody if I remember correctly. What is the latest on how many did or did not make it?

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), February 28, 1999.

Greybear,

"blanketing coverage of the Presidents..er..peckerdillos."

Shouldn't that read peckerdildo's :)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), February 28, 1999.

Andy,

No way, I was trying to type peccadillo and my fingers snuck in that other word.

Greybear would never talk like that.

-- Greybear, who has too much respect for his Royal Highness.

- Got Obeisance?

-- Greybear (greybaer@home.com), February 28, 1999.

Rob,

The best Web site for tracking Fortune 500 compliance (besides the SEC's own site) is:

http://www.flybyday.com/y2k/

Keeping in mind that this info is self-reported by corporations to the SEC, here's the current situation:

[snip]

Summary: 58 Companies are not publicly held, and do not have to report to the SEC 96 Companies provided no date or meaningless legalese such as "in a timely manner" 11 Companies have stated that they are already internally remediated 66 Companies expect to be substantially finished on or before 12/31/98 44 Companies expect to be substantially finished on or before 03/31/99 156 Companies expect to be substantially finished on or before 06/30/99 45 Companies expect to be substantially finished on or before 09/30/99 21 Companies expect to be substantially finished on or before 12/31/99 3 Company expects to be finished after January 1, 2000

[snip]

Since this info is self-reported, I tend to trust only the information from companies who already say they're compliant, or who are already saying they won't be compliant (11+3=14). That leaves 486 companies whose future is still unclear at this point.

Y2K deadlines are notorious for being missed.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 28, 1999.

Kevin: Thanks - you iz da man. As far as missed deadlines go, yeah, I know firsthand :(

We have had some good answers. What other things stand out so far this year?

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), February 28, 1999.

Rob,

There are many stories now about the military and government agencies gearing up to deal with Y2K. When this article appeared in the Kansas City Star on January 22, though, I considered it to be BIG news...

http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/business.pat,business/30dab190.122,.h tml

By FINN BULLERS and DAVID HAYES - Columnist Date: 01/22/99 22:15

What started as a free-wheeling Internet story with hush-hush sources has been put into perspective by the Kansas National Guard and Guard officials in Washington.

A writer with WorldNetDaily, an on-line newspaper, posted a long piece on the Internet recently that led some to believe the National Guard is planning to mobilize its 480,000 members May 1-2 for a Y2K communications drill. It would be the first such action since 1940.

Not entirely true. Yes, a drill is planned. But no, troops will not be mobilized to drill, said spokesman Joy Moser with the Kansas National Guard in Topeka.

On May 1-2, the nationwide COMEX/MOBEX drill will assume it is New Year's Day 2000 and telephones are not working. The test is to see if Guard units can be notified to mobilize during what is known as a "COMM-Out" period.

Nationally, high-frequency radios will be used to reach state leaders, said Jack Hooper, a Guard spokesman in Washington. In Kansas, Moser said, old high-frequency radios equipped with vacuum tubes will be used to communicate with some Guard units.

State units test their own communications networks annually, but Moser said this unclassified drill would be a first for the nation.

[snip]

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 28, 1999.

1) The near-universal failure of companies and government agencies to meet their self-imposed December 31 deadlines.

2) The creation of a new, further watered-down standard, "Y2K ready".

3) The inability of the Aladdin lamp company to meet the demand for its products.

-- GA Russell (garussell@russellga.com), February 28, 1999.

I think some major news is the inability of the American public to get it. Here it is 10 months to go and we still have company presidents saying what is Y2K? and Can't we just set the date ahead? A further indication is the relative lack of panic to hire the competent experienced programmers. The denial is so complete that the people still can not deal with it. Unfortunately people still believe the press, the network news anchors and Government officials with all of their assurances that it is a minor inconvenience. A public that would give the President the highest approval ratings despite his despicable conduct that would send ordinary citizens to jail and who would not demand his removal from office are too dumb to accept and understand reality. Murphy's law has struck again with a vengence which says that people rise to their level of incopetence. Instead of being promoted based on merit, promotions in this administration are based on skin color, politics, and political correctness instead of who can do the job. The people in charge of the Post Office, Internal Revenue Service, and all but a handful in Congress were not capable of dealing with the problem until it is too late. They call it equal opportunity but don't kid yourself. It is a quota system pure and simple. Paul Harvey was talking last week about the shortage of women in construction that was so bad that the contractors were paying premium wages to women in an effort to recruit them. Is this because women can do better work in construction because they are stronger and deserve more? People working for Federal agencies involved in these programs can tell you that it is because the contractors are forced into reconcilation agreements where they have to agree to hire the women and minorities that are not available in that area for that speciality. There will be many surprised and dead people next year. Will they wake up then?

-- Steve (sad@aaa.com), March 01, 1999.