My nephew is district manager of a commercial lighting division of a huge, world-wide company. He is very disdainful, as is his Dad, (my brother) of my concerns about Y2K. Each of them lives in a different mid-western state, and each insists there will be no problems. My nephew says the company has received (required) statements from all their suppliers that they are compliant and will continue thus. My brother says he hears reports from government (state, I assume), 3M, Honeywell, General Mills, Northwest Air, Norwest Banks, Cargil, etc. and "all are ready and on line." Comments? Granny Holly

-- Hollaine Allen (Holly3325@juno.com), April 15, 1999

Answers

Hollaine, I can give you my opinion just as many others can and probably will. Remember, they are only opinions. Nobody...I repeat..NOBODY knows for sure what is going to happen. However, just spend some time here and at other sites and make a decision for yourself. Prepare to a level that you are comfortable with. It doesn't have to cost a fortune. Can you afford to be wrong?

-- (rick@ina.com), April 15, 1999.

Hi Holly,

start by asking what verification they have of their suppliers statements. When they acknowledge that they have no proof of their suppliers' assertions, ask them if they buy products from those suppliers with doing their own engineering tests to insure that the products the suppliers are providing do in fact meet spec. that might at least give them something to think about.

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 15, 1999.

It's only "proof" when it's public record and can be verified.

Until then, some will be ready, some won't.

Diane

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

Who verifies the verifiers?

-- J (jart5@bellsouth.net), April 15, 1999.

For me, it really doesn't matter anymore what people say. What matters is that No One Knows What's Going to Happen. All of this talk -- & I find some of it hugely entertaining -- is really just so much "crystal ball-ing." My guess is not much worse than any techie's. It's all a big craps shoot. Welcome to Vegas.

-- your money's (on@the.table), April 15, 1999.

. . . and who supplies the suppliers? And who supplies them? Are they ALL compliant right down to the very last (or first) business that supplies the the little do-hickies for the smallest part of the product? Compliant means that EVERYONE EVERYWHERE has to be complaint . . . and that means world wide.

-- winna (??@??.com), April 15, 1999.

Winna-

Everyone, everywhere, does not need to be compliant, nor do they even need to be 100% ready. At no point at any time are all computer systems working correctly. Businesses need to insure the continuity and operability of their businesses.

CJS

-- CJS (fake@emailaddress.com), April 15, 1999.

Take a look at the 10Q reports for the companies you mentioned. They are not "ready and online" currently.

-- RD. ->H (drherr@erols.com), April 15, 1999.

This is NOT like Las Vegas. There, you have a chance (however small) of winning. With Y2K, the BEST you can do is break even.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), April 15, 1999.

Holly,

How many of those assurances of Y2k status were accompanied by an independent auditing statement?

-- No Spam Please (No_Spam_Please@anon_ymous.com), April 15, 1999.

Holly, you dear, dear lady. You know in your heart that you can't be swayed, even by your kin telling you it's all hype.

Do what you do best. Prepare, and hold the faith. They will be looking to you afterwards to help them out of this mess, for both direction and sustenance.

I love mature folks. I've learned a lot from the small number of family members whom I proudly call my elders. They are wise in ways I can hardly describe, and I am truly fortunate to have them.

(I have been watching your postings for many months now).

-- (mass@delusions.com), April 15, 1999.

The important thing is to make sure you are motivated by logic, not fear. It is also important to note that ALL predictions of Y2K from last year agreed that by the middle of July we would be nearly half way into the TOTAL of the Y2K failures - that we would be plainly seeing the worst by April or May. Doesn't seem so bad, does it?

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), April 16, 1999.

"With Y2K, the BEST you can do is break even."

Not quite true Tom - if for example there is a depression, if you have managed to get out beforehand (i.e. now) with some savings intact there will be opportunities for you. Fortunes will be made and lost if we don't go 100% teotwaki...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 16, 1999.