As I stated in a previous thread, I will be attending a Y2K forum at a local church on April 11. There will be industry representatives, along with community officials.

Hopefully I will get the chance to ask a question. In your opinion, what is the single most important question to ask? I have so many and want to make the one I may get to pose count.

Please, no lectures about spin and evasion. I know all of that, and will prepare follow up questions backed by facts. I need to focus on a topic ahead of time.

Thanks for your help,

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), March 31, 1999

Answers

Ask your local officials about contingency plans for water. If water isn't available the situation will quickly turn ugly.

-- Codejockey (codejockey@geek.com), March 31, 1999.

Yes, ask about water. At our local city Y2K meeting, the town officials were proud of the fact that we have "reservoirs" for emergencies. Upon questioning, it came out that our "reserves" will last only one day.

-- Ivan (curtistradin@earthlink.net), March 31, 1999.

Roland,

The first question I'd ask is if they are in their assessment, remediation or testing phase. Then, if appropriate, point out this quote by Peter de Jager from his book "Managing 00: Surviving the Year 2000 Computer Crisis":

[Capers] Jones also validates our estimation that an enterprise starting in 1997 is likely to get through only about 80 percent of its applications; if it waits until 1999, only 30 percent. And even conceding that only 30 percent of the applications may be critical to the business of the enterprise, that 30 percent is probably attached by data to another 40 percent of the other applications that won't make the transition in time. At best, the organization will be crippled; at worst, it will no longer exist."

I'd also ask if their PC's have been checked to see if they're vulnerable to Y2K. Many are. So are spreadsheets and programs that run on PC's.

The quote by de Jager is on pages 79 and 80 in Chapter Five, "Managing the Fix".

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 31, 1999.

Italics off

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 31, 1999.

Stop italics.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 31, 1999.

Where will we get clean water? Followed by what do we do with sewage/trash I think.

-- Kay (jkbrooks@bellsouth.net), March 31, 1999.