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Did anyone look at the comics in the paper today? Ahhh, ok, so I read the comics. Quit laughing at me. In the Family Circus, the caption is

Mrs. Clark taught us to write this new word. I think it spells "trouble".

The little girl is holding a piece of paper with "y2k" written on it.

Jeez, the only thing my local paper has written about y2k, and it's in the comics :(

-- Arachnid (itsybitsy@spider._), March 29, 1999

Answers

Arachnid,

The Raleigh News & Observer is the dominant paper for the eastern half on North Carolina. I recently heard the person in charge of y2k remediation speak at the Cary Town Meeting. If I understood his remarks properly, he said that testing revealed that the plant would be non-operational on Jan 1. unless repairs were made. He said that in response, some systems had to be fully replaced and that over $2 million was spent on y2k repairs.

He said that the N&O would do a "front to back" test during the third week of August by producing an 8 page test paper which simulated working through rollover. He said that if power or water were shut off, the paper would not print.

-- Puddintame (dit@dot.com), March 29, 1999.


You're right - It's the process stupid! - to paraphrase Clinton's old slogan from 1992. The whole preocess must work correctly to make the same product as this year - if the process is "damaged" or degraded, the product (newpapers - in this case) cannot be produced as quickly, as correctly, as safely, and with the same quality as before.

The failure could be water, ink feed, power, paper tensile load, paper reload, fold thickness, or roller speed, or whatever - each process in each industry will be affected by different things at different places in different ways.

As this paper found out - and will find out in more detail when it actually tests its process - only a full-up integrated test can discover most of the "hidden" problems between various systems and controllers - and very, very few companies are doing integrated testing. [Actually, there will likely still be surprises even in systems that have passed "full-up" integrated testing - just fewer than those systems that have only done piece-part testing and remediation.]

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (Cook.R@csaatl.com), March 29, 1999.


It's interesting to hear this about the N & O newspaper. About 6 months ago, one of their reporters interviewed me about Y2K effects on small business. They never ran the article because the editor seemed to think it wasn't enough of a problem to merit the space.

Robert,

Your 100% on the mark, the process is what counts. Not even my little part of the process, or your part, might make a lot of difference. Or it might make all the difference in the world. There's no way to know until you test, either simulated or live. And almost nobody in smaller enterprises is doing that. Shoot, we can show them actual failures in date rollovers on their own equipment, and they still nod their head and say, "We'll have to get around to fixing that real soon!" It drives me nuts. These same people are having twice a week quality control meetings with employees to make sure everthing runs smooth as silk. But hey, what does it matter if we lose 7 or 8 years worth of accounting and customer info. We'll just go back to paper.

-- Greg Sugg (gregsugg@bbnp.com), March 29, 1999.


Lemme see...Honda's SUV has two power outlets and a table, making it the perfect "survival" vehicle. Now we learn the "Y2K Problem Solved by Rooty-Tooty" from IHOP. Is this what you guys meant by "going mainstream?"

Hallyx

"Here come old Flat-top. He come movin' up slowly..."---Corporate executive speech.

-- Hallyx (Hallyx@aol.com), March 29, 1999.


PT, I used to free-lance for the N&O. Finally quit after about eight months because they could never get my paycheck to me on time. I'd call, someone would get my info all over again. I'd wait a week or two. No check. Call again. Give info again. On and on. Got three checks during the entire time (should have had eight). Very frustrating. The considerably smaller Durham Herald-Sun is MUCH more efficient--and lots friendlier, too! By the way, for those who don't know--the N&O is liberal, H-S is conservative. . .

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 29, 1999.


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